A Twist of Time
by Moony245
Summary: A few weeks after Remus is killed at Hogwarts, Tonks goes on an Auror mission and breaks several Time-Turners. She gets transported back to November 1, 1981, where she comes across an old friend. My twist on their love story. Starts in HBP. T to be safe. Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

PROLOGUE

_**Hi everyone! This is my first multi-chapter story. Most chapters (except for the first few) will be written from Tonks POV, but if that changes, I'll let you know. Also, the first couple of chapters are kind of downers, but trust me, I know exactly how I want this story to end, and I hope you will like it. Anyway, thanks for reading! Reviews would be much appreciated!**_

_Remus_

As I pulled out a seat from the kitchen table, preparing myself to delve into the wondrous pages of one of my favorite books, _The Flying Squad_, I could hear the faint tapping of an owl's beak on the fogged window pane to my left. Sighing, I rose from my chair and let the ruffled looking bird inside. The owl looked at me impatiently and threw a tattered newspaper onto the table. It stuck its leg out, and I tossed a Sickle into the tiny pouch. The bird hastily flew back out the window and into the chilly morning air.

I locked the window with a click and strode back over to my seat at the table, fully prepared to thrust my mind into the wonderful world created by the brilliant imagination of Edgar Wallace, but a picture on the front cover of the _Prophet_ caught my eye. There was a house, only it was utterly destroyed. The roof was blown completely off, and half of the second floor had fallen onto the first. Part of the side of the house was missing, revealing a glimpse of a child's room. Several people, probably Aurors, were gathered around the scene and were bustling around busily.

I felt like I knew this house. I'd been here before, I was sure of it. My eyes traced the outlines of the obliterated home as though I was trying to memorize every detail. Moving my gaze to the top of the paper, I read the headline, "Dark Lord Defeated!". Underneath, in slightly smaller writing was, "Harry Potter, Age 1, Has Destroyed the Dark Lord for Good. Story continued on page 9".

I froze, and my heart sank somewhere into my stomach. I flipped the pages eagerly until I saw the curvy "9" scrawled at the top of the page. My trembling hands discarded the rest of the paper, and I proceeded to read the article.

_Last night, October 31, Harry Potter, a mere toddler residing in the little town of Godric's Hollow, defeated the Dark Lord. According to the Aurors that were found on the scene this morning, the Dark Lord invaded the Potters' home last night, where he murdered the boy's parents, James and Lily Potter. The motives for this attack are unknown; however—_

I couldn't bring myself to read any further into the article; the tears that had begun forming in my eyes caused the words on the pages to blur into a hazy fuzz. I put the paper down onto the table and felt my breath catch in my throat. A strained sob echoed from my chest as I put my head on my arms and rested it on the table.

The phrase from the paper kept replaying in my mind, as though taunting me with its sad reality. _He murdered the boy's parents, James and Lily Potter…_murdered_ James and Lily…_. I didn't want to believe it was true. James, the man that had trained himself to be an Animagus in order to comfort me during the full moon, and Lily, kind, compassionate Lily, couldn't be dead. They had defied Voldemort _three times_. He couldn't have gotten to them.

I thought of the time in sixth year when James charmed the Slytherins' robes into scarlet and gold sequined jackets and turned their common room into a Gryffindor's dream. McGonagall had given him a week's detentions for that stunt. He couldn't be gone. I could still imagine his laughing and happy eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses, and the untidy sight of his messy black hair refused to leave my mind. I couldn't get the carefree and joking teenager James was out of my head. I just couldn't picture him dead. _It's not true_, I told myself.

But the voice of reason in the back of my head told me it _was_ true. James and Lily were gone, and they weren't coming back.

After several minutes, I gathered my composure enough to finish the story. I read how the use of Voldemort's name was now forbidden because the Ministry feared that it would cause him to come back. I nearly laughed at that logic; as if fearing his name would make the situation any better. I found out that Sirius had killed not only our best friend, Peter, but also thirteen innocent Muggles and was now in Azkaban. I wanted to march into Azkaban and kill that *rhymes with mastered*. He was James' and Lily's Secret Keeper, he _had _to have been; he was James' best friend. He had betrayed them _and _killed Peter.

I didn't want to believe it; I wanted to wake up in my bed and have this all be some crazy nightmare. But it wasn't a nightmare. My friends, the ones who kept me going despite my condition, were now either dead or traitors. I was alone.

A feeling of complete emptiness gripped at my insides, and I let a lone tear leak from my eyes. I sat frozen in my chair, unwilling to move. The sun slowly began to rise and enter the little kitchen through the fogged glass of the window.

Suddenly, a crash came from the next room causing me to nearly leap from my chair. I clutched my wand tightly and slowly rose from the table. I could hear the rustling of someone just outside the kitchen. I took one hesitant step forward. My heart rate increased, and my breathing became ragged and shallow. I felt all warmth leave my body as I neared the entrance to the next room. I raised my wand and prepared myself to meet the intruder.

_**So what did you think? Good, bad, ugly? Let me know in a REVIEW!**_


	2. Chapter 2: In the Blink of an Eye

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

_**So just some quick background stuff before we get into the actual story (I know a lot of people don't like to read the Author's Note, but this will come in handy and I'll try to be as quick as possible). This story starts off in HBP. Molly called Remus to the Burrow to talk about Tonks, and they broke out into an argument. Tonks and Remus haven't seen each other since before Christmas, and it's now June. **_

_**Also, Sirius will be alive in this story (yay!) because he is NOT dead. I think that's about it for now. I hope you all like it **_

_**Oh, forgot to do this in the prologue, but I don't own anything. Anything that you recognize came from J.K. Rowling's brilliant mind**_

_Remus_

"Remus you _have_ to talk to her!" Molly's shrill voice called angrily as I stormed from the Burrow. I ignored her, anger boiling inside me. I had made my way to the outskirts of the surrounding marsh before I heard Molly scream again, "You can't keep running away! She cares for you, Remus!"

Before she could yell anything else at me, I gripped my wand and twisted into the air, not caring where I ended up. I felt my feet hit the ground with a thud, and I took a moment to re-orient myself. As my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I realized where I was, all of my anger with Mrs. Weasley seemingly forgotten. I hadn't been here in years, not since James and Lily had died; the memories that emerged whenever I was here had been too painful.

The trees of the woods loomed around me forebodingly as if they were trying to suffocate me with their dark leaves. The sky turned gray with the imminent storm. The whole forest seemed lifeless; I couldn't even hear the lightest patter of animals scurrying in the brush.

The dark shadow of the Shrieking Shack drew closer as I continued my slow pace through the forest. As the Shack grew larger and larger, my mind went back to all those nights spent there with James, Sirius, and Peter. James was gone, and Peter was better off dead. It hurt to think that we were once so happy; none of us ever knew that there would be a war to rip us all apart.

But James and Lily were killed, and Peter betrayed them, and now there was another war threatening to take everything we loved. Who knew what we would lose next?

I sighed and sat down on the dead grass on the outskirts of the forest. I thought of Sirius; he could die at any moment in this war. So could Molly, or Arthur, or Harry. Anyone could be alive and well one minute, and then disappear in a flash of green.

Tonks' face appeared in my mind. She could just as easily be killed in this madness. She could die on Auror business or on a mission for the Order, and it was all because of this stupid war.

It made my heart ache to think that any of us could go so quickly. I thought of what Tonks had said to me the last time I saw her, it felt like centuries ago now, but her words echoed in the back of my mind as if she were sitting right next to me:

"You can't live in fear, Remus," she had said softly as she took my hand in both of hers in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. "This war could easily take one of us away, and I know you don't want to have regrets." I had brushed her away thinking I was doing both of us a favor, but now, sitting in front of the place where I had spent so many nights with my best friends, I understood why she said what she did.

I could lose everything in the blink of an eye. I had witnessed it with James and Lily and Peter. I knew now that I needed to make the most of everything while I still had it. I had been pushing Tonks away because I didn't want her to get hurt, but more important, I didn't want to have her reject me like everyone else did. I couldn't deny that I had feelings for her; I loved her determination to help; I loved her clumsiness and her humor; I loved how she made me forget what I was despite the prejudices against my kind. I was a coward because I was afraid of losing that, afraid that if I accepted that someone could love me despite my problems, I would lose them too.

I couldn't live in fear of that anymore. James and Lily had slipped through my fingers like I was trying to catch water with my hands. I wasn't going to let that happen with Tonks. I loved the pink-haired Auror, and, whether we died tomorrow or made it to the end of this war, I was going to enjoy every second I was allowed with her. I had my mind made up. She was right, and I needed to apologize for being a *donkey!*.

I was just about to twist into the air and Apparate into Hogsmeade when a silver lynx Patronus bounded through the trees toward me. It stopped about a foot in front of me and opened its mouth, Kingsley's deep voice speaking. "Remus, trouble at Hogwarts. Death Eaters in the castle. Order is on its way." With that, it disappeared into a cloud of smoke-like wisps.

I was frozen for a few seconds before my mind fully registered Kingsley's message. _Oh no,_ I thought morbidly before I twisted into the air. I landed a second later in the hectic Hogsmeade streets. I gazed up at the towering shadow of the Hogwarts castle. My mouth fell open in horror as my eyes took in the sight of a Dark Mark, clear as though burned into the dark night sky, above the Astronomy Tower.

I raced towards the castle, determined to get there as fast as I could. Kingsley said that the Order was there. That meant Tonks had to be here. I had to find her; I was _not_ going to lose her right when I had realized what I fool I was. My legs carried me faster and faster as I pushed my way through the crowded streets. Finally, I reached the front gates. I saw Neville locked in a duel with a stout Death Eater.

"_Stupefy_!" Neville's spell missed the Death Eater's left side by inches.

The Death Eater was quick to counter, "_Expelliarmus!_" he cried shrilly.

Neville's wand flew from his hand and landed on the dark ground with a light tap. Neville immediately threw himself on the ground in a desperate attempt to find his wand.

The Death Eater raised his wand, a manic smile flashing across his face. "_Cru-._"

"NEVILLE!" I warned, firing a Stunning Spell at his attacker. The spell hit the Death Eater square in the face. He was thrust off his feet and landed on his back with a thud.

I turned to Neville, who was still on the ground searching for his wand. Once he'd found it, he stood up.

"Thanks for that," he said.

"No problem," I replied, not really looking at him. I needed to find the others. "What happened?" I asked in a monotone voice.

"Death Eaters broke into the castle. We're not sure how, but they keep coming. Members of the Order got here around twenty minutes ago. Most everyone's inside, but—."

I didn't hear the rest of what Neville had to say, for I strode into the castle without another word. As I entered the Great Hall, I saw Luna battling a short red-headed Death Eater. I helped her Stun him and anxiously headed up the steps of the Grand Staircase. As I neared the second floor, the crashes and bangs of the duels grew louder and louder. I opened a door that led into a long corridor, and saw duels lining the halls. Off to my right, Bill was battling a large blonde Death Eater, and Ginny was fighting a tall brunette Death Eater across the hall.

Bill quickly defeated his opponent and turned to help his little sister, but I grabbed his arm and turned him in my direction. "Where is she?" I asked anxiously.

"I saw her last on the fourth floor," Bill yelled over the crashes. "That was about ten minutes ago; I haven't seen her since, though." I nodded in thanks and turned back to the staircase. Death Eaters were flooding the stairs, and I cast as many spells as my wand would allow as I made my way up the levels of the castle. Finally, I reached the entrance to the fourth floor. I opened the door to the corridor and saw Tonks dueling Dolohov several feet away. They were the only ones to be seen, but I could hear the clangs and crashes of the other duels fast approaching.

Tonks looked to be winning; she had forced Dolohov back against a wall and was quickly firing spells at him.

Suddenly, another Death Eater approached her from behind and was raising his wand to attack her. "Tonks!" I warned before casting a Blasting Jinx at the newcomer. He flew back into the wall with a bang.

Tonks, startled by the crash, whipped her head in my direction, causing her long mousy brown hair to fly around her head. Her face scrunched up in confusion, and she started to mouth my name. Before she could do anything else, I saw Dolohov move from his position against the wall and shout, "_Ametsmoris!_" He made a slashing movement with his wand, and a bright purple flame passed through Tonks' chest. She gave a quiet, almost surprised gasp and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. And just like that, she was gone before I could even blink.

_**Reviews welcome!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Gone

GONE

_**Hello again! Sorry about starting things off a little sadly, I promise things will look happier a little later on. Unfortunately, I wouldn't call this chapter very happy either, but it has to be done. Also, sorry about this, but I forgot to mention that I don't swear much, so any implied bad words (there shouldn't be all that many) are in * * or symbols. This is just something I do. Please don't criticize me for it!**_

_**Big thanks to everyone who added this story to their favorites and subscribed to it! Don't forget to review at the end **_

_**No, I still don't own anything. I'm just playing with what J.K. Rowling made.**_

_Remus_

I stood solid; the shocked sight of Tonks' seemingly lifeless form gripped at my insides and prevented me from moving. A few strands of her mousy brown hair had been flung around her head and into her face. Her mouth was slightly agape, forming a tiny "o".

Suddenly, my eye caught the slight up and down movement of her chest, and her head stirred feebly. I released a breath I hadn't known I had been holding, relief flooding through me. I hadn't lost her yet; she was definitely alive.

In my elation at the realization that Tonks was alive, I hadn't noticed Dolohov making his way towards me. His raspy voice shouted "_Crucio!_" from across the corridor.

My whole body felt like it was on fire, like a million hot knives were stabbing their way into my stomach and chest. I immediately wanted it to end, anything to make it end. It felt like I had been in unbearable pain for an eternity, but Dolohov eventually released the curse. My muscles relaxed, and I finally felt at ease to breathe. I looked up to see Dolohov making his way towards me.

I picked up my wand, and shouted "_Confringo!_" He leapt out of the way of the spell, causing the wall behind him to explode in a cloud of debris.

The Death Eater quickly reoriented himself and yelled "_Avada Kedavra!_" I dove to the right to avoid being hit by the singeing jet of green light.

I quickly rose to my feet and countered with "_Locomotor Mortis!_" The spell hit Dolohov straight on, causing his legs to bind immediately. He struggled to break free of the spell, but he remained unmoving in the middle of the corridor. I pointed my wand straight for his chest. "_Stupe_-," I started, but a deafening crash echoed down the corridor. I felt myself being thrust to the side, and I closed my eyes, bracing myself against the impact. My ribs and back collided hard with the stone floor, and I slid to the side into the wall. A sharp pain coursed down my neck and back from where my head had made contact against the wall. I heard footsteps from across the corridor, and their pace was quickening.

Just then, I heard someone shout "_Avada Kedavra!_", but the voice was unrecognizable. I saw a flash of green through my closed eyelids, and something hit my face with unbelievable force. That was the last thing I felt before my mind slipped away.

_**Sorry for the shortness. I promise that the upcoming chapters will be longer! I'll try to have the next chapter up soon. I already have it written so hopefully it'll be up by the end of the week. Don't forget to REVIEW. They honestly make me so happy!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Pain

PAIN

_**Big thanks to everyone reading this story! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! It has Sirius in it for all you Padfoot-lovers out there! Just a quick note: anything in italics is happening in Tonks' head unless otherwise indicated.**_

_**I still own nothing. This is just a result of reading a ton of Harry Potter and letting my imagination run wild.**_

_Tonks_

I couldn't remember what happened. All I knew was that everything hurt. My arms and legs felt sore and heavy. I thought that my chest had cracked, and my head felt like it would split in two. What had happened? As my head started to clear, I became vaguely aware of the fact that I was lying in a lumpy bed. Someone shifted to my right, and I heard voices speaking in hushed tones. Where was I?

I ignored the pounding in my head and strained my ears to listen to the people in the room.

"She should be alright," an unfamiliar woman's voice said. "The Healing Charms should take effect any moment, and I expect she'll wake up soon. Just don't tell her anything that could upset her too much; we don't want her getting overly excited just yet," the woman instructed. Were they talking about me?

"Thank you," Mad-Eye's gruff voice answered. I could hear the light tapping of the woman's footsteps echo down the hall as she exited the room. There was a moment of silence before Mad-Eye spoke again. "I have to get back. There's a meeting soon, and I have to give an update. You'll stay here?"

"Yeah, but what'll I do if she wakes up?" Dedalus Diggle's voice squeaked.

"If she wakes up, you let us know and make sure she's alright," Mad-Eye answered impatiently.

"But what'll I tell her about _him_?" Dedalus' question could barely be called a whisper, and I had to strain my ears even more to hear it.

"Don't tell her anything!" Mad-Eye snapped. "You heard what the mediwitch said, nothing that'll upset her! She'll find out soon enough."

"Okay," Dedalus responded quietly. I heard Mad-Eye's uneven footsteps leave the room and continue down the hall.

I tried to wake up, tried to lift my head from the painfully uncomfortable pillow, but I couldn't. My aching head prevented me from so much as wiggling my toes; all I could manage was a light stir and a painful groan.

"Tonks?" Dedalus called nervously. I wanted to respond, but my entire body felt like it was being weighed down with an anchor. "Tonks, are you in there?" Normally, the childish question would have caused me to break out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, but all I could do now was lie there and try to pry my eyelids open.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I forced my lead-filled eyes open, but I instantly regretted it. Everything was too bright. The ceilings and walls were painted a too clean white color. The sheets were heavily starched and smelled of cleaning supplies. Even the table and chair to my right were washed out and colorless.

I blinked several times to try to adjust to the brightness. I was in a hospital room. Dedalus was sitting on my right with his hands folded in his lap.

"You're awake!" he optimized. I could only manage a nod; my head still felt like it had been run over by one of those Muggle steamrollers.

"What happened?" I asked after a few moments.

"Well," Dedalus began, "Dolohov took you out, we're not quite sure what he did, but you had us all pretty worried."

I leaned back into the bed. My head was starting to clear, and my body didn't ache as much. Suddenly, my memory came flooding back. The fighting, bright flashes of light, crashes, explosions…Remus….Everything came back like a full-force whirlwind.

"Is everyone else ok?" I questioned, desperately hoping that the answer was yes.

Dedalus shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable by the question, "Everyone will be fine," he answered. "Bill got attacked by Greyback, but he'll be just fine." I allowed myself a sigh of relief.

-oOoOoO-

I was permitted to leave St. Mungo's the next day, and after a speech from Mad-Eye about how constant vigilance would have prevented me from ending up in the hospital, life went on pretty much as it always did. I hadn't seen Remus, but that night at Hogwarts had been the first time in six months that I had seen him, so I figured he went back to the werewolf colony and was staying there for a while.

Everything was pretty much normal. Remus and I still weren't talking; Molly was still fussing over everyone being too thin; Fred and George were still pulling pranks left and right; and Mad-Eye was still harping on the importance of constant vigilance (honestly, did the man talk about anything else?). Despite the fact that things went on basically the way they always had, there was an unmistakable gloom surrounding every Order meeting. I attributed it to the fact that Dumbledore, our leader in this madness, was now gone. No one talked about it much; I figured it was because it was so fresh in everyone's minds. Sirius had even taken to staying in his room for hours on end, only leaving to retrieve a bottle of firewhiskey from the cupboard in the kitchen.

One morning, I had arrived early for a meeting, and Sirius decided to grace me with his drunken presence.

"Wotcher, Sirius," I said pleasantly, hoping to get on his good side.

"Hmph," he responded. I guess I wasn't successful. He slouched up the stairs and to his room. I could hear the faint click of the door locking. I followed him up the stairs. He needed someone to talk some sense into him. This had been going on too long.

I marched up the stairs, but, being the oh so graceful person that I am, tripped on the edge of the last step. I fell face first to the ground, and my chin hit the floor. I rose to my feet, cursing under my breath and rubbing the underside of my sore chin.

I knocked on the door to Sirius' room. "Go away!" he moaned from inside.

"Sirius, it's Tonks. I want to talk," I said through the wood.

"Go _away_!" he repeated.

Now I was beginning to grow frustrated. I hadn't done anything! My hair turned from its mousy brown to a slightly redder shade of auburn. "Sirius, I swear if you don't open this door right now, I _will_ hex you into next Tuesday," I growled from the other side.

I heard rustling and clanging of whiskey bottles inside. It was a couple of moments before Sirius was able to unsteadily make his way to the door.

"What?" he asked shortly. His breath reeked of alcohol and he looked and smelled like he hadn't showered in days.

"I wanted to talk," I answered as I pushed my way past him into the room. The room was totally disheveled and stunk with old firewhiskey. His bed was unmade, and whiskey bottles cluttered the room. I made my way deeper inside when my eye caught the sight of one of Sirius' pictures.

It was the one of him, James, Remus, and Peter when they were in school. Sirius had shown it to me so many times when he used to babysit me. He would tell me about all of his adventures at Hogwarts and all the trouble he got into. I was often told that I resembled him in behavior.

As I looked at the picture now, I thought of how so much had changed. Peter had been torn from the picture long ago, James was now dead, and Remus was putting himself in danger in the werewolf colony. I hurt for my cousin. He had to stay locked up in this gloomy house filled with so many awful memories rather than fight alongside his friends.

The sound of Sirius shutting the door interrupted my thoughts. "What is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked with speech slightly slurred with drunkenness.

"I wanted to try to get you to come down," I said, turning to face him.

"I'd rather stay here," he responded as he picked up a half emptied bottle of firewhiskey and raised it to his mouth. I knocked it out of his hands, and it crashed to the floor. "Hey!" he shouted. "What did you do that for?"

"I think you've had enough," I answered shortly.

Sirius looked at me angrily and slumped over to the bed. "That's funny," he said sarcastically, "I thought you of all people would have understood."

"Sirius," I began, sitting next to him on the bed, "we all miss Dumbledore. He was a great man but-," Sirius gave me a perplexed look, causing me to stop mid-sentence.

"This isn't about Dumbledore," he confessed quietly.

I was now totally confused. Who else could it have been about?

Sirius sighed. "They never told you, did they?" I had no idea what he was talking about, and my brow furrowed. Sirius sighed again and hung his head low. "Tonks," he began softly, "Remus died that night at Hogwarts."

I didn't believe him. I thought that he was just drunk, and it was the firewhiskey talking. I searched for the playful glint in his eye that would tell me that this was all a joke. But it wasn't there. His gaze remained hard and unmoving.

I felt my breath catch somewhere in my throat and my heart began to race. I thought of that day when I woke up in the hospital.

_"What'll I tell her about him?" "Don't tell her anything!"_

They hadn't been talking about Dumbledore. They'd been talking about Remus. Tears welled up in my eyes. He wasn't coming back. He was gone, and the last thing we'd said to each other had been arguing. I hated myself for not mending things between us, for letting it end this way.

_"Why can't you open your eyes and see that I don't care?" I shrieked. "I don't care that you're poor or old, and I don't care that you're a werewolf!"_

_ "But I care!" he shouted back, his face turning reddish. "I would make you an outcast! You would lose everything if you were with me!"_

I had stormed out at that point, too angry to say anything else. Now, I would have given anything to walk back into that room and fix things.

Sirius had left to get more whiskey, but I didn't notice him leave. The pain I felt did for me what the whiskey did for Sirius; it numbed me. I didn't hear the other Order members enter the house. I didn't notice the shrieks of the portrait of Sirius' mother. I couldn't even feel the stench of the alcohol in the room burning my nostrils.

Remus was gone, and he wasn't coming back. Nothing I said or did would make him come back. For the first time in a long time, I broke down and cried.

_**Sorry for the downer. I know that chapter was a little sad. The next one will be a bit happier I promise! And for those of you wanting Remus in the story, he'll return after a few chapters, be patient :P I haven't finished the next chapter yet, and I have a basketball tournament this weekend, so it might be a while before the next chapter is up. I'll try to get it up sometime between Friday and Monday, but no guarantees. Don't forget to leave a REVIEW with your thoughts! They make me so happy.**_


	5. Chapter 5: Twisted

TWISTED

_**Hello again! I had a free period and was able to get the rest of this chapter written, so I can post it before the weekend now! Big thanks to everyone who reviewed/added this story to their favorites/subscribed to it! I promised that this chapter would be a little happier, and it will be. Tonks is still sad about Remus, but this chapter isn't centered around that. This chapter was a little difficult to write. I knew what I wanted to happen, but words were escaping me, so I'm writing this while listening to the Harry Potter soundtrack in order to get some inspiration (It's quite fun. The music is so great, although Courtyard Apocalypse makes me want to cry every time I hear it.)**_

_**This chapter starts off a little depressing, but it'll pick up. I promise not to go on too long of a rant about how depressed Tonks is because I know that'll get boring. Also, now almost all the chapters are from Tonks' POV so if it doesn't say anything at the beginning, assume it's Tonks. Don't forget to review at the end! They brighten my day! **_

_**I still don't own Harry Potter no matter how many stars I wish on. Anything that you recognize is J.K. Rowling's.**_

I managed to compose myself long enough to go down to the Order meeting, but it didn't feel right. Maybe it was the fact that I knew that Remus would never go to another meeting. Maybe it was the fact that we thought we were going to lose to You-Know-Who because Dumbledore was gone. Maybe it was the fact that everyone was carrying on as if nothing had happened while I was dying on the inside. No matter what it was, I knew things would be different from now on.

-oOoOoO-

It was hard for the first couple of weeks. I missed Remus more than I thought possible. It was odd how I missed even the littlest things about him, like the way he flipped through the pages of his book without making a single sound and how he liked listening to old Muggle music. There were even a few times I swore that I saw his long figure slumped in one of the large armchairs of the Black family library reading the newspaper.

No one went into the library anymore. Sirius eventually closed the doors leading to it; the memories of the man that spent so much time there had been too painful to face. It was sad how a simple room could invoke such grief for people.

Life did eventually return to semi-normalcy; no matter how much I missed the people we lost, I was still my normal clumsy self going to my normal paperwork-filled job. The pain that had erupted when I found out that Remus was gone had gradually numbed. I couldn't morph, but other than that, and the slight sadness that never left the back of my head, things were relatively normal.

Things at work went on as if nothing happened. Everything was its normal, boring self, until one day when things got especially exciting. I came into work on a day in early July. As soon as I entered the Ministry, I saw people bustling around looking more flustered than usual; one man was carrying papers stacked well over his head and was leaving a trail of sheets behind him. The memos in the shape of paper airplanes whizzed hurriedly over my head, and the halls were so crowded I found myself literally tripping my way to my cubicle. I had fallen over my wretched feet for the fifth time before I finally made my way to my desk. When I got there, Kingsley was waiting for me, and he looked rather impatient with his arms folded over his chest.

"You're late," he scolded.

"Sorry, the halls were crowded," I replied as I approached.

"We have a job for you," he continued. "I've been waiting for you all morning."

"What's the job?" I asked, ignoring his second comment.

"A group of suspected Death Eaters broke into the Department of Mysteries and the Hall of Time last night," he began. That explained the strangeness that went on this morning. Anything concerning the Department of Mysteries was a big deal, especially when it was the Hall of Prophecies or the Hall of Time. "We've sent Proudfoot and Savage in already, and I told them you would meet them there," he finished.

I nodded and headed down to the Department of Mysteries. Once I got there, I instantly located the Hall of Time. I opened the door with a creak and peered inside. Everything looked the same. There were still Time-Turners lining the shelves, and the shelves covered the span of the room. Had Kingsley not told me, I never would have guessed that anyone had broken in here.

I headed down the first aisle of shelves, when suddenly, I heard a crash and a cackle coming from about four rows over. I instantly drew my wand and ran in the direction of the sound.

As I continued my search for the source of the commotion, I could see bright flashes of light coming from my left. I turned into the aisle and was appalled to see none other than my dreadful aunt hovering over a now unconscious Proudfoot.

She threw her wild hair back in a manic cackle as she towered over the man on the floor. "Looks like you lost, Dearie," she sing-songed. She continued chuckling evilly to herself before I rounded the corner and cast a Stunning spell in her direction.

"_Stupefy_!" I shouted. Hearing my incantation, Bellatrix leapt out of the way; the jet of red light zoomed past her and hit the back wall.

"_Crucio_!" she yelled back. I instantly ducked, allowing the curse to fly over my head. She cackled once again, throwing her wild hair back and running off into the aisle upon aisle of Time-Turners. "You'll never catch me, Tonksie!" she taunted.

I ran after her, firing spells at her whenever I caught a glimpse of her robes fleeting around the corner. "_Tarantallegra_!" "_Petrificus Totalus_!" I aimed spell after spell at her retreating figure, each one missing by mere inches.

Finally, she stopped her mad race around the hall long enough to face me. She turned and flashed me an evil, toothy grin before laughing manically once again. She twisted into the air, and within seconds, I heard her cackles echo from the other side of the room. I took off after her, Apparating to the spot where I heard her laughs, only to see the hem of her robes flying around the corner.

I ran after her, my wand drawn and ready to fire a spell the moment I got the chance. I rounded the corner and saw her turn to face me. I took a step toward her to get a better angle for my spell when my foot caught on the edge of the shelf. I toppled to the floor, taking the shelf with me, and saw Bellatrix twist into the air once again and disappear. I heard the bang of the shelf colliding with the floor and the sound of glass crashing to the ground. The next thing I knew, I was covered in shattered Time-Turners, leaving sand and shards of glass all over the floor. I stood up, cursing my clumsiness, and brushed off my robes.

The second all the sand had fallen to the floor, it began to swirl around my feet. It looped several times at the ground before it began to glow a bright golden color and twist its way through the air. By the time it was at my waist, I felt a tingling sensation grip at my limbs and chest. Suddenly, it felt like I was sinking into the ground; my whole body felt heavy. My vision began to grow fuzzy until the sand began swirling around my face. The tiny grains obscured my vision further, and I opened my mouth to scream in fear, but no sound came out; the sand was spinning so quickly that it became hard to breathe. Then, everything went black. I felt my back collide with something hard, and I knew that I had fallen to the floor. It immediately became easier to breathe, and my entire body felt like a huge weight had been lifted off it. Just then, I heard someone approaching. Fear clutched at my body as I tried to hoist myself up and prepare myself to face my attacker.

_**Well, there's the chapter. I hope you liked it. I'm not sure how happy I am with it, but be sure to send me your thoughts in a review! 21-year old Remus and Tonks will meet in the next chapter :) Unfortunately, I don't have it written yet. I'll try to get it written tonight, but I don't think it'll be posted until Sunday night or later because I have a basketball tournament. I hope you all liked this chapter!**_


	6. Chapter 6: Funny Situations

FUNNY SITUATIONS

_**Hi, everyone! I'm really, really sorry that it took me so long to update! This chapter was supposed to be posted on Friday, May 4**__**th**__**, but before I could finish writing the chapter, I had a basketball game, and in the game I got a concussion. The concussion really made it hard to read/write/even look at a computer, so writing fanfics didn't work out too well. Sorry for the long wait! This chapter will be a little bit longer than the others, so I hope that makes up for everything :) Even though the concussion is gone now (yay!) I have some make up work still, and I have finals coming up next week, so please bear with me if it takes me a while to update. I promise that I will have chapters up as soon as I can.**_

_**Also, (sorry I know that this is getting a little long, but I'm almost done) for those of you who don't know, I just started another story called "Missing You". It's a tribute to some of my favorite characters who died throughout the course of the Harry Potter series (Feel free to check it out if you want!) I think that what I'm going to do since I'm writing 2 stories at once is alternate my updates, so after I update this story, I'll update the other one and then back to this one. I hope that's ok with everyone! I think that's it for now! Hope you like the chapter, and sorry again for the long wait! Reviews welcome!**_

_***Grumbling* No, Harry Potter is still not mine :(**_

I pulled myself up and gripped my wand tighter in my hand. As I stood up, I instantly sensed that something was wrong. This wasn't the Ministry; it wasn't even a place I recognized. It was the sitting room of a tiny house. An old, tattered sofa was in the middle of the room next to a worn coffee table. There was rather dated wallpaper on the walls; it resembled the floral wallpaper in my parents' house.

I racked my brain, trying to think of where I might be. In my attempts to find some explanation for my situation, I had forgotten that someone was approaching me, so it took me completely by surprise when I heard somebody speak.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" The voice was distantly familiar, like I'd heard it long ago in a dream. I whipped my head around to see a man standing in the entrance to the room with his wand raised. Though he was still quite young, I could see the beginnings of light flecks of gray around the edges of his face. His otherwise sandy brown hair was a bit unkempt and hung in light waves around his head. His face was marred with scars and lines, and he looked exhausted, like he'd been worrying about something for a long time; it made him look much older than I guessed he really was. His clothes were old, tattered, and patched in many places. He looked just like-. But it couldn't be…

"Remus?" I asked quietly.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" His voice was growing angrier. It couldn't be Remus. He'd died weeks ago. I had to be dreaming, or worse. Could I be going mad?

I desperately searched around the room for an answer or explanation. I caught the sight of an old newspaper on the coffee table in front of me. It was covered with several other papers, and it was difficult to catch any details. I bent over to try to move the papers out of the way.

"Don't move!" the man in the entry warned. I instantly straightened back up, but searched the paper for any signs. My eyes scanned the top of the paper and nearly popped out of my head when I read the date, October 30, 1981. This couldn't be right. How could I possibly have gone back sixteen years?

I turned to the man in the entryway; he hadn't moved, and his wand was still pointed directly at me. "What's the date?"

He looked skeptical but answered nonetheless, "November first."

"No, the year. I need the year," I said so panicked that all the words slurred together.

"1981," he said simply.

My heart dropped. How could I have been stuck in 1981? Then it hit me: the sand in the Time-Turners. They must have taken me back when the Time-Turners smashed. I grew frantic.

"I shouldn't be here," I said more to myself than anyone else.

"You're right, you shouldn't," the man said warily. He'd dropped his wand a little, but he was still eying me cautiously.

"No, you don't understand," I began, "I shouldn't be here, in this time. I _can't _be in 1981. It's supposed to be 1997." I could feel the panic rising within me, and I'd begun pacing about the room frantically.

The man lowered his wand a little more and gave me a perplexed look that showed plainly that he thought that I belonged in the psychiatric ward at St. Mungo's.

"I'm not mad!" I argued. "There were these Time-Turners, and they fell on the ground and smashed everywhere!" I explained pleadingly, making elaborate hand motions to mimic the sand falling to the floor. "Then the sand started swirling around and the next thing I know, I'm here," I finished exasperatedly.

He took a hesitant step toward me. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

I grumbled to myself. Why would I lie about something like this? I tried to find something that would prove to him that I was from the future. "Are you Remus Lupin?" I asked, hoping that his answer would help me come up with some proof.

He gave a slight, nervous nod. "Then, I know that you are a member of the Order of the Phoenix. You and I met when I joined the Order in the summer of 1995. My name is Tonks, and I think that you used to help babysit me with my cousin, Sirius Black," I ended with a slight blush. I hadn't thought of the days when Remus Lupin was my babysitter in years. I could still remember laughing while he and Sirius chased me all throughout my parents' house while trying to make me go to bed. I cringed a bit at the memory, and suddenly, the fact that Remus was no longer alive in my time was more prominent than ever.

Remus' eyes widened in understanding. "You're Nymphadora?" he asked in a surprised voice.

I winced, "_Please_ don't say that name."

"Sorry," he apologized before straightening up and lowering his wand completely. "So, you're really from the future?" he asked quietly. I nodded. "We have to find some way to get you back."

I don't know how it happened, but that sentence triggered something in me. I didn't _want_ to go back. I knew that I needed to or else risk completely rewriting history, but I couldn't bring myself to muster any desire to go back to my time. How could I leave the world where Remus was alive and well and healthy to go to a world where he doesn't exist? I didn't want to go back to the place where people were dying or being persecuted day after day. I just couldn't do it.

I stood there silently for several seconds before Remus spoke again. "Maybe we should contact Dumbledore," he resolved.

"Y-yeah. Good idea," I answered lamely.

Remus strode over to the nearby fireplace and threw in several pinches of Floo Powder, saying "Headmaster's Office" loudly and clearly as the last flecks of dust fell into the ashes. Emerald green flames sprang into the fireplace and Remus stuck his face in. I could hear him mumbling something to someone on the other end before he withdrew his head. "He's on his way," Remus explained. Within seconds, Albus Dumbledore was standing in the tiny living room of the flat.

"Hello, Remus," he said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Professor," Remus responded. Suddenly, Dumbledore's eyes flashed to me.

"Ah, you must be Miss Tonks."

"Hi, Professor," I greeted weakly. Dumbledore, ever the observant one, noticed the sad tone in my voice and gestured to Remus.

"Would you mind giving us a few moments?" Remus nodded and went into the kitchen. Once Remus was out of earshot, Dumbledore strode over to the couch and sat down, motioning for me to sit on the cushion next to him.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked kindly.

I sighed, resolving that if I was going to tell someone everything, I might as well tell him. "Professor," I began, "I can't go back. In my time, my friends are dying every day."

"Who has died?" he questioned.

I looked into his deep blue eyes, blue eyes that saw no more in my time. I couldn't tell him what had happened to him just a few weeks before. I settled on giving him just one name. "Remus, he died four weeks ago."

"Ah," he said knowingly, "I see now," he glanced at me from above the half moon spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose.

"I can't go back, sir. I can't go back to a world where he, and so many of my friends, don't exist."

"Miss Tonks," he started kindly, "we don't know what your being here is doing to the future. You could be rewriting the very course of history just by talking to me."

"I know, but—." Dumbledore put up a hand to silence me.

"We all must die, Miss Tonks, some sooner than others." He gave me a look letting me know that any attempt to resist him was futile.

"Alright," I said, hanging my head a bit and sighing internally.

"And Miss Tonks," he said slightly sternly, "don't tell Remus about what you've just told me. It could change the future." I nodded solemnly.

Dumbledore then called Remus back into the room and addressed us both now, "I believe that the best thing we can do to find a way to get Miss Tonks back to her time would be to do research at the Ministry. I haven't heard of many other accounts such as this, but reading up on it a bit can't hurt." We both nodded as he continued. "I'll be searching Hogwarts as well for anything I can find. Minerva may know something. Now, you'll be needing a place to stay, Miss Tonks, for I don't think that we'll be finding a way for you to get home today."

"She can stay here," Remus interjected.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together excitedly, "Good, then it's all settled." He strode back over to the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder. "I'll keep in touch and let you know if I find anything," he said before throwing the Powder down and calling "Hogwarts castle". In a flash of bright green flame, he was gone.

Remus and I stood there awkwardly for a few moments, unsure of what to do now.

"Well, you must be tired," Remus began. "Would you like some tea?"

"That would be great," I enthused.

We sat at the tiny table together, each taking sips of our tea. As I was sitting, I glanced down and saw an abandoned newspaper with the headline "Dark Lord Defeated!" My heart sank. Of course, today was November first, the day after James and Lily were killed.

I glanced up at Remus, a bit unsure of what to say. What could I say to someone who just lost two of his best friends and thought the other was a traitor? Not only had he lost his three friends, but he'd also allowed me to stay in his home until I could get back to mine. Suddenly, I felt guilty, like I was intruding on something very private, like I should let him be alone so he could grieve for his friends.

As I looked at Remus from across the table, I noticed little things about him that I hadn't seen just moments before. He looked tired, not just like he did after a full moon, but like he was emotionally exhausted. He slumped forward in his chair a bit, and I noticed slight dark circles under his eyes. I knew that this was because of what had happened last night, and I wanted to make him feel better. I wanted so badly to tell him everything, that Sirius wasn't a traitor and that it was Peter who had betrayed James and Lily. I wanted Remus to know that he wasn't alone, but I bit back my tongue, Dumbledore's words echoing in my head. I couldn't tell him anything that might affect the future. I sighed, feeling powerless to help the man across from me.

"How are you holding up?" I asked quietly. When Remus looked up from his tea and gave me a puzzled look, I indicated to the headline of the paper.

"Oh, that," he answered, his voice sounding deflated, "I'll be fine."

-oOoOoO-

It remained pretty awkward for the rest of the day. Things were complicated; his friends had just been killed in this time, and in my time, we had been arguing until he was killed four weeks ago. What could I say to him? I began to get the feeling that being stuck in the past would be very difficult.

I spent most of my day sitting on an old wooden chair in the sitting room, making light sparks spurt from the tip of my wand in an attempt to entertain myself. Remus didn't really leave the kitchen except to ask if I needed anything once every few hours.

At around dinner time, Remus entered the sitting room. "I'm going to make sandwiches," he announced. "Would you like one?"

My head perked up; I had been hungry for the better part of the day. I followed Remus back into the kitchen, where I saw that he had laid out a few pieces of bread and what looked like sliced turkey. Remus proceeded over behind the tiny counter. "There are some plates in that cupboard up there if you want to get them," he said, indicating to the old, dark wood cupboard on my right. I reached up and grabbed two plates. I turned to place them onto the counter, but I hadn't noticed Remus turning at the exact same time. We collided, causing the plates to slip from my hands and crash to the floor. My face went deep red as I glared down at the mess. "I'm so sorry," I apologized furiously. "I'm right clumsy. I should have been more careful," I added as I whipped out my wand to fix the mess. Remus beat me to it, and with a bit of wordless magic and a flick of his wand, the plates repaired themselves. I looked up at him, suddenly aware of our close proximity due to the tiny size of the kitchen; our faces were no more than six inches apart, something that made my face and hair turn bright pink.

Remus was taken aback slightly by the sudden change before laughing nervously. "I'd forgotten you were a Metamorphmagus," he said before turning back to the food.

Things lightened up a bit while we ate. We spent some time reminiscing about the days when he was Remus Lupin: Babysitter. He reminded me of things that I had pushed to the back of my mind, leaving them forgotten for years. It was a nice talk. It wasn't like the ones we used to have before we started fighting. Back then we talked as old friends; now, our conversation was that of two people being reunited and trying to get reacquainted.

After dinner, it had gotten quite late, and both of us were rather tired from the events of the day. Remus excused himself for a moment, and walked down a hall off the sitting room. He returned with a pillow, a set of extra sheets, and what looked like an old shirt. "I found some extra sheets in the closet," he explained, setting them on the couch along with the pillow. "Sorry I don't have anything more comfortable," he added, eying the couch distastefully.

"It's just fine. Thank you for doing all this," I answered gratefully.

He gave a small smile and a nod. He blushed a bit as he handed me the shirt. "I thought this might help a bit."

"Thanks," I answered, taking the shirt.

"There's a bathroom down the hall if you want to change," he finished before walking to his room.

I walked into the bathroom, and changed into Remus' shirt. It hung loosely on my small frame, hitting me right at the knee and nearly drowning me in fabric. I exited the bathroom and walked back to the sitting room in the dark. Despite the fact that there were only about five feet between the bathroom and the sitting room, I found myself tripping after my second step. I landed on the ground with a thud.

Remus ran into the hallway. He was wearing an old gray shirt on top of flannel pajama pants.

"Are you alright?" he asked upon seeing me on the floor.

I blushed, thankful that it was dark in the room so he couldn't see the color rising in my cheeks. "Yeah," I responded getting up and brushing myself off. Why did my miserable clumsiness have to choose the worst times to present itself?

Once Remus was assured that I was alright and that I wasn't going to fall again on my way to the couch, he bid me goodnight and walked back to his room.

That night, I lay back onto the couch, exhausted, but unable to find sleep. Everything smelled like Remus. The sheets smelled fresh like the air before a storm; the shirt he'd given me had a light sweetness to it that was prominent but not overpowering. Even the cushions smelled like him. I had to allow myself to chuckle at my situation. Here I was, in the past, in Remus Lupin's house, on his couch, wearing his shirt, and completely enveloped by the smell of him. Maybe being stuck in the past wouldn't be _so_ bad. And with that thought, I drifted off to sleep.

_**Well there you have it! I hope you liked it and that it was worth the wait! Don't forget to send me your thoughts! I'd really appreciate it!**_


	7. Chapter 7: Red

RED

**_Hello lovely readers of Fanfiction :) Here's the newest chapter! It's meant to be more of a funny/cute filler chapter, so not much happens that's central to the plot. I just thought it was a funny idea, and I hope you like it. Don't forget to Review!_**

**_*Sighs* How I wish I could write like J.K. Rowling…I own nothing that you recognize._**

I woke up the next morning feeling oddly refreshed. When I opened my eyes, I could tell that it was quite early; the light outside was still a pale gray. Normally, I could sleep late into the afternoon, and I was a monster if someone tried to get me up before 10 A.M., but today felt different. The couch was so comfortable, and I snuggled deeper into the cushions.

I heard footsteps enter the room, and I sat up from my spot on the couch and curled my legs up next to my side. Remus was standing in the entry with a book in his hand. He was already fully dressed in an old collared shirt and faded jeans, and his hair was neatly combed back. I chuckled to myself when I saw him; he always was an early riser.

"Sorry," he apologized, "did I wake you?"

"No," I replied, stretching, "I was up." Remus stepped lightly over to the armchair opposite the couch and sat down. He immediately opened the book and rested it on his lap.

As he read, I glanced at the cover and saw the title, worn with age, embellished on the front, _Notable Magical Names of Our Time_. The sight of the words took me back years to when I was a little girl, and my dad and I would sit on my bed reading the book. He would point to the different names and tell me every story about them, telling me that one day I could be great like them. Though I hadn't read the book for myself in years, I treasured these memories and swore that I would never forget them.

"I didn't know you read that," I commented in an attempt to make small talk.

Remus peered up at me from above his book. "I've just started," he responded, closing the book on his finger to mark his place. "It's quite interesting."

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, when my dad started reading it to me, I thought that I would hate it because it doesn't actually have a plot," I began, "but I love it now. Just think of all the people there and what they've done," I ended eagerly.

Remus gave me a small smile before there was a knock on the door. He rose from his chair, placing the book carefully on the seat, and walked over to the door. He peeked through the little hole in the door to see who it was. My brow furrowed in confusion when I saw him sigh and open the door begrudgingly. Who could it be?

I didn't have to wait long for the answer, for within milliseconds of the door swinging open a woman threw her arms around Remus' neck and was hugging him close.

She was an older woman; she looked to be in her late forties to early fifties, and her light brown curly hair was streaked with silver. She was shorter than Remus by maybe a foot and a half, and she was a bit stout. She was wearing a thick, white wool sweater with a turtleneck collar and rather ugly velvet black pants with what looked to be orange snow boots. It was quite the combination (this coming from the witch who would wear combat boots with an evening gown if given the opportunity).

I sat on the couch in a complete daze trying to figure out who this woman was.

"Oh, Remus," she cooed, still hugging his neck, "the owls delivered my paper late, and I came as soon as I heard." She had small tears leaking from her brown eyes now, "How are you taking it?"

Remus struggled against the woman's grip, "Taking what?" he asked.

"Your friends!" she answered. "I read about them in that article. Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry about them!"

Remus pried the woman off his neck. "I'll be alright, Mum," he replied, pushing her out the door a bit. "You should probably go. Now's not a good time," he added starting to close the door.

Just then, the woman's eyes flashed to me, and her body snapped back, all her earlier hysteria seemed to be forgotten.

"Oh," she retorted, "I see you're doing just fine," she finished as she shot a disappointed glance in Remus' direction. I suddenly felt dirty. This woman had gone to her son's house to check on him, to see if he was alright after his friends had died, and she found another woman on his couch and wearing his shirt. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, and I tried not to think about the crimson color my face was now turning.

I turned to Remus and saw that his face mirrored the tomato red I knew my face was, and he was shaking his head furiously.

"No, no," he argued, "you've got it all wrong. Tonks is a friend. She dropped by unexpectedly and needed a place to stay for a while," he finished. He spoke so quickly that all the words slurred together in a big jumble.

His mother shrugged but looked apprehensive nonetheless. "I just wanted to make sure that you were doing alright," she said haughtily.

Remus sighed, "I'll be okay," he said dismissively. "Thanks for coming, Mum," he finished with a mumble. Had I not been so embarrassed, I would have chuckled at Remus' attitude towards his mother; he always seemed to be the perfect gentleman, that is, except for now with his mother. His annoyance with her was almost comical.

Remus' mother stuck her nose into the air, obviously disliking the impatience her son was showing, and walked back out the door.

Remus shut the door, and walked back over to his chair. "My mother," he said, pointing towards the door, "she's quite the character."

I laughed. "You should have seen you're face when she saw me," I teased.

"_My _face," he joked, "your face was redder than a lobster." Though I hated to admit it, I knew he was right.

We talked for the majority of the morning, the book he had been reading laying forgotten on the coffee table.

**_Aww, Remus and Tonks get embarrassed :P I hope you liked this! Like I said, I just thought that this would be a funny idea, and it was more of a filler chapter. Send me a Review letting me know what you thought!_**


	8. Chapter 8: Discoveries

DISCOVERIES

_**Big, big thanks to everyone who has reviewed/subscribed/added this to their favorites! You are all so sweet, and you're making me so happy! You are the best! Thanks everyone!**_

_**I spent a lot of time thinking about this chapter.. I had some more cute ideas for filler chapters, but I didn't want to give you all two filler chapters in a row. This chapter will be a little more central to the plot, I think. I hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to Review!**_

_**Harry Potter isn't and will never be mine :(**_

"I was thinking," Remus said while cleaning up some of the dishes from lunch, "maybe we should get a start on researching to get you back." My head perked up as I reached to place a plate in the sink. I knew that I had to go back at some point, but I was hoping that I could put it off as late as possible. "It would probably be best to get you back sooner rather than later." That made my stomach do slight somersaults, and my dread of going back to my time grew larger.

"Maybe," I replied half-heartedly, "but do you think that we'll find anything? I mean, Dumbledore himself said that there haven't been any other reports of situations like this," I argued, hoping that he would give up the idea.

"We'll never know if we don't try," he retorted. I sighed. "There are two libraries in town, we can try those today," he continued, ignoring my growing frustration.

"But small-town libraries can't possibly have something about time travel," I responded. "I mean, don't you think we ought to go to a larger place with more books to find something? And besides, I grew up around here. Wouldn't it be a little strange if I ran into someone I knew and they recognized me?"

Remus shook his head, "You're a Metamorphmagus, Tonks. You can change your appearance," he answered sternly. He was giving me a look. It was a look that I had seen many times back in 1997 when we were in the middle of an argument; his light blue eyes stared at me, and I got the feeling that he was looking straight through me and seeing everything I had ever thought or felt. It was a look that told me that he sensed that something was wrong, that something didn't fit together.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," I finished lamely, growing uncomfortable under his hard gaze. I averted my eyes so that I looked anywhere but at him. I moved my eyes to the little white stove in the back of the kitchen, to the refrigerator that was so short it barely reached my shoulder, to the window, and then I repeated the pattern.

"There's something you're not telling me, Tonks." Merlin, Remus could be annoying when he wanted to be. Why couldn't he just drop it?

Remus took my silence as a confirmation. "What is it?" he asked. The sternness in his voice was nearly gone now and was replaced with a more comforting tone.

"It's nothing," I answered. I wanted to crawl under a rock. I didn't want to deal with his questions, they would only complicate things, and we were just starting to get more comfortable around each other.

I sighed again, resolving that my only way out of this situation was to give in, "Maybe you're right," I told him quietly, still not making direct eye contact. "We _could_ find something today."

"Alright then," Remus said as though this entire argument hadn't transpired, "since there are two libraries, I think it would be best if we split up so we can cover the most ground. You can change your appearance and go to one, and I'll go the other. We can meet back her in about an hour to see if we've found anything."

I nodded, a bit grateful that I would be able to be alone to sort through my thoughts. This whole being stuck sixteen years in the past was really messing with my head.

-oOoOoO-

Within the next half hour, I was on my way to one of the two libraries close to Remus' flat. I had changed my hair so that it was short and gray, and I made myself shorter. My nose was unnaturally long, and my skin was now wrinkly. Even Remus had to admit that I was unrecognizable.

When I arrived at the library, I started walking down the rows of books, only half-searching for something that would help me get back to 1997. More than anything, however, I was trying to figure out why I was so conflicted about my whole situation.

I knew that I _had _to go back because I could change everything, and I had told myself that over a hundred times in the past twenty-four hours, but I still couldn't bring myself to _want_ to go back. I still wanted to stay here in 1981 where many of my friends were still alive and well, where there was no war raging to tear anyone apart.

As I rounded a corner to start my walk down another row of books, I caught the sight of a woman with her daughter. The little girl was pointing excitedly to a book on one of the upper shelves. The woman smiled, got the book down, and handed it to her daughter.

Suddenly, the girl changed her hair from dark brown to bright orange, and that's when I realized that the little girl was me. I watched as the five-year-old version of myself flipped eagerly through the pages. With each page, sparks of a different color flew into the air.

I glanced at my mother. Even though she was much younger, there were still striking similarities between her and my mad aunt, the dark hair and skin, the deep brown eyes, but there was a kindness in her face that wasn't there in either of her other sisters.

My mother looked less worried than I remembered. She had always been a rather nervous person, especially after I told her of my decision to become an Auror and join the Order, but now she looked slightly relaxed.

I smiled as the woman took her daughter's hand and led her down the aisle of books.

I remembered this day when I was five-years-old. The war had just ended, and my mother wanted to go out for the first time in years.

We had never really left the safety of our home during the first war; with both of my mother's sisters being Death Eaters and my father being Muggle-born, things weren't exactly safe for us. I could still see the fear etched in my mother's face every time a new report came out.

Of course, then I hadn't understood any of it. I was too young to know that You-Know-Who was killing Muggle-borns or that we were all in grave danger. I just knew that my mother was scared, and that scared me too.

After seeing me with my mother at the library, I was too distracted to continue my search for books, so I changed back to my normal appearance and headed back to Remus' flat a little early. When I got there, I searched for Remus, thinking that he may have chosen to come back early as well. I walked down the hall into his room to see if he had gone there.

His room was almost bare; there was nothing but a neatly made bed on the back wall, a desk to the right of the bed, and several books stacked neatly on the floor. The window above the desk was open and let a light, refreshing breeze into the room.

As I was about to leave to check if Remus was in one of the other rooms of the flat, there was a sudden cool gust of wind, causing several papers that were on the desk to fall to the floor. I strode across the room and closed the window. I bent down to pick up the papers that had fallen to the floor, but one of them caught my eye.

There were three small sheets of paper written in Remus' careful handwriting. I picked them up and examined them closer, unable to keep my curiosity at bay.

_October 30, 1981_

_Dear James and Lily,_

_I know that your first inclination will be to throw this letter away when you see that it's from me, but I need to tell you something, and I hope that you will hear me out. I'm writing this letter to urge you to reconsider your choice of Secret Keeper. I suspect that you have chosen Sirius as your Secret Keeper, but I must tell you that I believe that this is a mistake. Sirius is believed to be part of Death Eater activities. Although it pains me to say it, I want you to know exactly what the risks are of him being your Secret Keeper. If he is one of them, he will not hesitate to give you up. He will tell him where you are. Please reconsider putting your lives in his hands._

_I know that you both think that I have no business in this. You think that I'm the one that's turned spy for Voldemort, but it's completely untrue. I'm writing to you now as your friend. I want to help save you now just as you both saved me at Hogwarts. Please listen to me. I don't know how I would live if something were to happen to either of you. I just want to know that you are both safe and sound, and I will do all that I can to help you. I will always remain loyal to you._

_Your Friend,_

_Remus_

"I was supposed to send that the day you got here," a voice called behind me, causing me to nearly jump out of my shoes. I turned and found Remus standing in the doorway with a patched coat hanging over his arm.

I felt heat rise in my face and I felt like a child that had been caught stealing something from its parents. "I just—It fell, and—I didn't mean to-," I stuttered.

Remus waved me off with his hand. "It doesn't matter now," he dismissed. His voice sounded tired. He walked over to the bed and slumped down onto it, exhaling deeply.

It was then that I began to realize how much the man in front of me was hurting, and I couldn't imagine how hard this must be for him. He had tried to warn his friends, tried to prevent anything from happening to them, but he was a day too late. I could see the pain and guilt he carried now, and I began to understand Remus Lupin I knew a bit better. He had lost all of his friends in a matter of minutes, it's no wonder he was worried something would have happened to me if we got closer.

Remus turned to me, "Just tell me one thing," he requested, snapping me from my thoughts. I nodded. "Please tell me that Sirius got what he deserved." His voice was filled with more hate than I thought possible to have in words.

I wanted so badly to tell him that Sirius wasn't a traitor, and that it was Peter who betrayed James and Lily. I ached with a longing to let Remus know that he wasn't alone in this, that one of his friends was still loyal.

At the time, I didn't see how any harm could come out of telling Remus the truth. It would have gotten Sirius out of prison, and Peter would have gotten the Dementor's Kiss. And, according to Harry, it was Wormtail who had brought You-Know-Who back. With Peter in prison, it wouldn't be possible for him to bring Voldemort back, and the whole second war could be avoided.

I opened my mouth to tell Remus everything, but I held myself back. As I thought about it more, I realized that things may not work out like I hoped. First, Sirius probably wouldn't get out of prison. Who would listen to two young wizards, one of which is a werewolf? Second, if Peter didn't bring He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named back, it would only have been a matter of time before another Death Eater brought him back.

It hit me just how much I could influence the future; I could change so much more than I could ever imagine. I felt conflicted. I didn't want Remus to feel any more pain than he already had, but I also didn't want to ruin the future any more than it was.

I sat down next to Remus on the bed and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I can't tell you everything that happened," I said truthfully, "but I can tell you that you aren't alone. You have people that care for you, Remus, even though it may not seem like it now."

He seemed satisfied with that answer, for now at least. I felt terrible for not being able to help him more, for not being able to offer some wise words of advice. All I knew was that I couldn't tell him anything about the future. Dumbledore was right; I really didn't know what my being here was doing to my time. For the first time since I had arrived in 1981, I longed to be back home.

_**Well there you have it. Don't worry, the story is not going to end with Tonks being all doubtful. I'm addicted to fluff, so you can be sure that there will be plenty of happy moments in this story :) **_

_**Before I go, I have a question for you all. What ending would you like this story to have: Confusing Ending or Normal-ish Ending? I have two different ideas for how this story should end, and either works with what I have written so far. Send me you pick in a Review!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Forgiven

FORGIVEN

_**Hi again! Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I was busy with school and sports all week, but I have good news! I have officially finished exams! I'll probably be able to update a little more frequently now that school is done. Big thanks to Mellimon and MsTonksLupin for helping me to develop the idea for this chapter. I hope you like it!**_

Over the course of the next few days, I began to spend more time alone in the sitting room reading books about time travel. Now that I knew that I could make the future worse by staying in the past, I realized that Dumbledore was right when he said that I had to get back as soon as possible. Remus and I kept our distance from each other. I knew that it would only be more painful for me to go back to my time if I grew closer to him. He usually didn't question me; I think he assumed that I missed my family and wanted to get back to see them sooner.

Some nights, I would read for many hours, trying to finish one book quickly so that I could move on to the next. There was never anything useful in any of the books I read. There was information on how to get minutes, even hours, into the past, nothing about decades.

One morning, I had stayed up the majority of the night, Remus entered the sitting room, neatly dressed as usual, and found me curled up on the couch with a book in my lap. I hadn't realized it at the time, but I looked exhausted. My hair was more unkempt than usual, and there were dark bags under my eyes.

Remus took one look at me and sighed. "Didn't you sleep at all last night?"

I shrugged, "No, I slept for about an hour at around 3:30," I answered truthfully.

Remus stepped in front of my and grabbed the book from my hands. He placed it lightly on the coffee table and looked at me with a worried glint in his eyes. "You need to take a break," he said calmly. "You've been at this for days now. It won't do you any harm to take a break for an hour."

I opened my mouth to argue with him, but he cut me off. "I know of this little park a few miles away. It's far enough away that you won't have to change your appearance."

He held out his hand for me to take it. I sighed, and grabbed hold of his arm. He helped me up lightly before I vanished the dark circles from under my eyes and made several attempts at smoothing out my hair.

He laughed, "I promise, no one will recognize you."

"Hmph," I protested before we twisted into the air.

When I felt my feet hit the ground, I found myself a bit confused; we were in a small, dark alleyway. There was a large green dumpster to my right, and the smell coming from it was strong enough to cause me to wrinkle my nose in disgust. I glanced at Remus.

"I had to take us here first," he explained. "It's a Muggle park, so we'll have to walk from here."

I nodded and followed him out onto the streets. It seemed to be a nice, quiet, small Muggle town. There were children riding those two-wheeled contraptions.

"Watch me," one boy called to his friend. "Look, no hands!" He threw his arms out to either side like he was flying while he continued pedaling with his feet.

We continued walking until we arrived at a large gate. The iron bars were thin and black, and the doors were opened so that people could pass freely through. Inside, I could see long rows of hedges on either side of a cobblestone pathway. There were benches spread around the park so that people could rest along their walks. I paused a moment at the entrance, taking in the beauty of the place. The sun reflected beautifully off the iron bars, making them have a light sparkle to them. I could spot families with young children strolling around in the grass and leaves on the warm fall day. I smiled, grateful that Remus had forced me to take a break. This place was so relaxing and calming. All of the urgency and stress I had felt over the past several days left me like it had evaporated into the air leaving nothing but peacefulness. I inhaled deeply and let the smell of fresh air fill my nostrils.

I followed Remus into the park and headed down the path. We said nothing for each other for a while, simply enjoying the beauty of the day.

After a few minutes of walking, Remus suggested that we sit on a bench. We sat next to each other, neither of us saying anything for a while.

"Thanks for this," I said. "You were right, I needed a break." He smiled at me, and I had to catch myself before I was caught staring into his gleaming blue eyes. I told myself I wouldn't fall for him again; it would only complicate things, and going back would already be difficult enough.

"Anytime," he returned before leaning back into the sun.

It was silent for several moments, nothing but the sound of the passing families, until I heard the sound of footsteps nearing us. They grew faster and faster until they reached us. Remus' head perked up, and saw that a man was standing in front of us with a paper clutched tightly in his hand.

He was a shorter man with light blonde hair. Though he was only maybe in his late thirties, his hair was thinning, and he was bald in several places. He had small light green eyes, and his voice was high and squeaky when he spoke. I instantly recognized him as a younger Dedalus.

"Remus," he greeted, "there's something that you need to see." He thrust the newspaper onto Remus' lap.

I glanced over his shoulder and read the heading. The words "Escape from Azakaban!" flashed across the top, and underneath was a picture of a young-looking Sirius Black.

Remus read quickly through the article before an angered expression came over his face. I had never seen him look like that before. His face was hard, and his eyes were piercing. His features seemed darker and more menacing. It was the first time that I saw the glimpse of the wolf in his face.

Remus scrunched the paper up in his fist and threw it on the ground. He grabbed my arm and forcefully led me from the park without another word. When we had reached the sidewalk, I wrenched myself from his grip and faced him.

"Remus," I yelled, "would you _please_ tell me what's the rush?"

He turned to me with the same hard expression. "Sirius escaped," he said harshly. "We have to get back." My heart sank somewhere into my stomach. Despite my attempts, I had already managed to change the past. Sirius wasn't supposed to escape for another twelve years. Remus gripped my hand and Apparated back to his flat.

We arrived straight in the sitting room. As I reoriented myself, I noticed something rather odd; a dark figure loomed in a corner of the room. It stepped forward, and Remus drew his wand so quickly, I barely had time to blink. He held his wand at the figure's throat and stared him straight in the face.

The figure had long, dark, slightly greasy black hair. It looked like it had been several weeks since he'd had a decent shower. His face, although quite handsome, was dark and covered with dirt. He was wearing gray and white striped prison robes that hung loosely on his frame, and his number, A1587, was patched just below his left shoulder. Despite his filthy appearance, his eyes were light gray and kind.

Everything began to come together, the dark face and hair, the gentle gray eyes. I slowly began to recognize him.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Remus spat at the man.

"I need your help," the man pleaded.

"You have no business here, not after what you did to James and Lily."

"You don't understand! You've got it all wrong!" Sirius cried.

I rushed across the room and pulled Remus away from Sirius. "You _have _to listen," I warned as I attempted to drag Remus towards the door. "Please!" I begged.

Remus halted for a moment, his nostrils flaring. I took the opportunity to put myself between the two men to prevent any further struggle.

"You better have a good reason for this," Remus said impatiently.

Sirius took a deep breath, "Just listen. You have it all wrong. I never betrayed James and Lily. They wanted me to be their Secret Keeper, but that would have been too obvious. I said they should choose Peter. He's the one who sold them to Voldemort."

"But he's dead," Remus seethed. "_You _killed him."

"I didn't," Sirius defended. "Believe me, I was going to once I found out what he'd done, but the coward ran away. I was chasing him, and he was trying to kill me, but he ended up killing those Muggles. He cut off his finger and transformed so that everyone would think he was dead. Who knows where he is now."

Remus turned to me, his expression softened slightly. "Is he telling the truth?"

"Yes," I answered breathlessly.

I moved out of the way so that the two friends could face each other. "I'm sorry I thought it was you," Remus apologized. "I should have known that you wouldn't betray James."

"And I'm sorry I thought you had turned spy for the Death Eaters," Sirius returned. They smiled at each other, showing that they were both forgiven. "So," Sirius began, "would you mind letting an old friend stay with you for a while until I can clear my name?"

Remus laughed, "Of course not. I just hope you don't mind it being too crowded." He indicated to me, "She's staying here as well."

Sirius looked to me and a smile flashed across his face, "I was meaning to ask who she was. Remus, you never told me you had a lady friend."

Remus blushed, "She's just a friend. She needed a place to stay for a while, so she's been staying with me for about a week."

Sirius crossed the room and put his arm around me. I fought the urge to chuckle at him. "So, what brings a lovely lady like you here to my friend's home?" he asked flirtatiously. He looked at me with a boyish glint in his eyes.

The situation was so hilarious. Here was my older cousin, newly escaped from prison, and trying to flirt with me. I couldn't help but play along, "I needed a place to stay for a few days, and Remus has let me stay with him," I explained with a chuckle. My eyes flashed to Remus and I saw that he was also fighting back his own guffaws at Sirius' behavior.

"Well, I should say that you should prepare yourself for the time of your life for these next few days," Sirius said with a dashing smile.

I was now keeled over with the strength of my laughter, and it became hard to breathe. Remus shot me a look, silently asking my permission to let Sirius know the truth. I nodded, resolving that my mission of leaving the past unchanged had crumbled now that Sirius knew me.

"She's your cousin, mate," Remus revealed once he had caught his breath.

Sirius removed his arm from around me as though he was afraid I had a disease. "Remus, you didn't tell me that you were into the evil and mad type," he said with a look of disgust on his face.

My laughter grew stronger, and Remus was forced to respond for me again, "No, not them. She's Nymphadora."

I immediately stopped laughing and glared at Remus, "I told you not to call me that! It's Tonks."

Sirius looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Dora?"

"Yep," I answered.

"But, you can't be older than five now. How can you look like…_that_?" he asked gesturing to me.

"She had a little run-in with some Time-Turners," Remus explained.

Sirius nodded in understanding, "But how did you get here?"

"I don't know," I responded. "The Time-Turners just brought me here, and Remus agreed to let me stay until I found some way of getting back to my own time."

"Whoa," Sirius breathed, "I guess things are pretty messed up now, huh?"

"If by 'pretty messed up' you mean, 'I just tried to hit on my baby cousin', then yes, they are," I answered with a laugh.

Remus chuckled while Sirius blushed deep red. It was the first time I had seen my cousin severely embarrassed, and I couldn't help but giggle and allow my face to glow bright crimson from the strength of my laughter.

_**Well there's the newest chapter. I'm not sure how happy I am with the way I wrote it. I liked the idea, but I'm not so confident about the way it's written. Let me know how you liked it! If you have any suggestions, let me know and I'll do my best to fix anything. Also, some people have been concerned that this story will not have a happy ending: Don't Worry! I'm obsessed with cheesy fluffiness, so this story will have a happy ending! **_

_**Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to Review!**_


	10. Chapter 10: Early Risers

EARLY RISERS

_**Hi again everyone! Sorry that it took me a while to post this chapter. I was having some trouble figuring out what I wanted to happen next, so I had to reread things and reorder my thoughts. I hope you like the newest chapter!**_

_**Oops, realized I forgot to do this in the last chapter, but I think you all know the drill by now :P My name isn't J.K. Rowling, so, alas, I do not own Harry Potter.**_

"So how exactly did this happen, again," Sirius asked at dinner for the hundredth time (tonight's meal was a delicious homemade chicken soup, and I was beginning to find that Remus was a rather accomplished chef).

Remus and I glanced at each other, silently deciding whose turn it was to explain everything over again. I guessed that it was mine. "It's supposed to be 1997," I began, making sure that I was over-enunciating every word for clarity. "I became an Auror and had a mission at the Ministry. I knocked over a shelf of Time-Turners, and the next thing I know, I'm in the sitting room of Remus' house."

Sirius nodded. "So, are you going to go back?"

I hesitated a little before I answered, "Yes."

"How are you going to do that?" Sirius asked, taking another noisy slurp of his soup.

"You eat like a dog, Padfoot," Remus jibed.

Sirius waved him off, and I laughed before I answered Sirius' question. "I don't know yet. We've been reading books to try to get some answers, but, as far as I know, no one has ever been in a situation like this, so there we haven't found much."

Sirius' head perked up. "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"You can help us read," Remus answered. Sirius' nose scrunched up in disgust. "What did you expect me to say?" Remus defended. "It's not like you can go out now that the entire Wizarding community is looking for you."

"Ha ha," Sirius replied sarcastically.

"We can bring back books for you," I offered.

"Yeah, it'll actually be nice to have an extra person to help us finish the books faster," Remus added.

Sirius fell back in his chair, disappointed. "Why must reading always be the answer for you, Moony?"

-oOoOoO-

That night, Remus tried to find a place for Sirius to sleep while I changed. When I had returned from the bathroom, I found one of the chair cushions lying on the floor across from the couch. Remus flicked his wand and muttered "_Engorgio_", and the cushion instantly grew to the size of a small mattress. Remus then excused himself to go down the hall to find a blanket for his friend.

I stepped further into the room, and Sirius eyes instantly fell on the old shirt I was wearing. A small smirk flashed across my cousin's face, and my face and hair glowed beet red. I fiddled with the hem of the shirt, trying to pull it further down than my knees. Sirius chuckled at my discomfort.

"Remus give you that?" he asked casually. I was too uncomfortable to give a reply.

Remus returned several seconds later with an old quilt in his arms. "It isn't much, but-" he trailed off.

"It's better than the cell," Sirius finished. Even though Sirius' comment was meant to be a joke, there was no mistaking the dark tone in his voice.

"Well…" Remus started awkwardly, "I hope you'll be comfortable."

"Thanks for this, Moony," Sirius said, and I could tell that he wasn't just talking about giving him a place to stay.

"Anything for an old friend," Remus returned before heading back to his room.

-oOoOoO-

The next morning, I was awoken to the smell of eggs cooking. I peeked open my eyes and glanced at the clock on the side table: 11:30. I saw Sirius lying on the enlarged cushion about three feet away from me. He was still snoring peacefully.

I stretched, and threw the blanket back off my legs. I got up and headed for the kitchen, yawning sleepily.

"Good morning," Remus said cheerily from over by the stove. I meant to say "Good morning" in response, but it came out in more of a yawn.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Remus asked, concerned. "I tried to start late enough not to wake you or Sirius. I swear you two sleep later than I've ever seen in a person. We nearly had to drag Sirius out of bed at Hogwarts so that he wouldn't be late for class." I laughed.

Remus' hair was neatly combed back, and he was already dressed in slightly worn jeans and a green sweater. He turned to me, and I noted how the dark green of his sweater not only brought out the light silvery flecks in his blue eyes, but it also made his hair seem especially light and golden.

Remus placed two plates of eggs and bacon on the table and motioned for me to sit down. "Now comes the real challenge," Remus began. When I shot him a confused look, he continued, "Getting Sirius out of bed."

Now this I absolutely had to see. I followed Remus into the sitting room and stood in the entry. Remus strode over until he was by Sirius' side. "Sirius," he said in a similar tone to a parent scolding a child, "you need to get up."

Sirius groaned and pulled the quilt until it was over his head. "Sirius, you really need to get out of bed."

Sirius groaned again and tried to kick Remus in the shin. Remus seemed to be expecting it, however, and moved his leg to the side. He then pulled the quilt off of Sirius and tried to pull the cushion from underneath his friend. Sirius kicked again, and this time, he didn't miss Remus' left leg. Remus toppled backwards onto the ground with a thud.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of it. I covered my mouth with my hand to try to muffle the sound of my giggles.

Remus stood up, visibly frustrated. "_C'mon_, Sirius," Remus yelled impatiently. "There's food in the kitchen!"

Sirius perked up as if something had flipped a switch in him. He was awake and in the kitchen almost within a second.

Remus sighed, exhausted, and walked back into the kitchen. I patted him on the back as he passed. "A job well done," I teased.

"I told you it was going to be a challenge," he returned defensively. "You can try getting him up next time; I don't think my poor shins can take much more." We both chuckled and headed into the kitchen together.

When we entered, I couldn't help but notice Sirius glancing at us in a strange way. I couldn't quite place it, but there was something odd in his look. I brushed it off, resolving that it was probably nothing. I sat down at the table and everyone served themselves some eggs.

"This is fantastic, Moony," Sirius enthused, scooping several forkfuls of eggs into his mouth.

"Well, I thought that you deserved a decent meal after-" Remus hesitated, "_everything_ that's happened," he finished.

Sirius swallowed and cleared his throat. "Thanks," he replied lightly.

_**Well there it is! I hope you liked it! Don't forget to Review! I read every one of them, and they really make me so happy! I'll try to have another chapter posted soon!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Transformation

TRANSFORMATION

_**Here's another chapter! Be prepared for a few POV shifts (sorry for any confusion. I tried to make it clear). I hope you like it, and don't forget to Review! They make my day happier :)**_

_**Sadly, Remus, Tonks, Sirius or anyone/thing you recognize isn't mine**_

_Tonks_

Later that day, the three of us each had a book placed in our hands, and we had been reading (or in Sirius' case pretending to read) for the majority of the afternoon. Remus had taken about four books into his room after breakfast, and Sirius and I had a large stack of books between us. I was reading on the sofa, and Sirius was sitting on the enlarged cushion.

Although I could tell that Sirius really was trying to help me out, I knew that he was finding it difficult to concentrate. His eyes constantly roamed around the room, and I swear that he had been reading the same page for over half an hour. Truthfully, I understood Sirius' boredom. The house was so quiet with everyone reading.

Suddenly, Sirius closed his book and lay back on his makeshift mattress with a frustrated groan. "I can't take it anymore," he sighed.

I shook my head, and tried to remain focused on the page I was reading.

_Time-Turners are often used to take a person back into the past. Most Time-Turners are made to sustain only time travel of up to twenty-four hours, but some have been made to go up to a week into the past. Many witches and wizards choose to keep Time-Turners in order to go back to correct some mistake, and there have been instances when—_

"So, are you ready for tonight?" I peeked up from over my book to see that Sirius was now sitting upright on the cushion.

"What's tonight?" I asked.

"You didn't know?" Sirius questioned. "Tonight's the full moon."

No. Tonight couldn't be the full moon. Why wouldn't Remus have said something? Didn't he know that we could help him?

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered with a shrug, "I've been keeping track of the moon since fourth year when we started going to the Shack with him. He never told us when he would be transforming, probably because he didn't want to worry us, so we had to keep track of the moon for ourselves," he explained.

"What can we do to help him?" I asked, concerned.

Sirius shrugged. "We used to go with him so that it wouldn't be so bad for him. I might sneak out tonight and follow him."

My eyes widened, "You do remember that the majority of the Wizarding community is looking for you, right?"

Sirius grinned, "Yeah, but being an unregistered Animagus sure can have its perks," he replied with a mischievous smirk.

"You better not get caught," I warned as I rose from the sofa.

"Nah," Sirius waved me off, "I'll be fine. Where are you going?" he added as he saw me head toward the hall.

"I'm going to see how Remus is doing." I walked down the hallway and into Remus' room. The door was open, and I could see him with his legs outstretched on the bed, a book held in his hands. I knocked on the door with a knuckle to grab his attention. He looked up from the page he was reading, and his face lit up.

"Hi," he greeted, "did you find something?"

I shook my head, "No," I replied, "but Sirius told me about tonight." Remus stiffened. "Is there anything that I can do?"

"I'll be fine," Remus assured. "I've transformed hundreds of times by now." Though I could tell that he was trying to make me feel better about the situation, there was no mistaking the slight worry in his eyes.

I gave him a look, plainly showing that I doubted that he didn't need help today.

"I'll be _fine_," he insisted. "Don't worry."

-oOoOoO-

_Remus_

"Well I'm off," I announced as I grabbed my traveling cloak off the coat rack.

"So early?" Sirius piped as I swung the door open.

"I like to get there early," I explained. "It's peaceful."

As I stepped outside, I glimpsed Tonks' face. It was filled with worry. Her eyes, a bright shade of green today, followed my every move as if she was worried that I was a time bomb about to explode at any moment. "Don't worry about it," I reassured her, hoping to ease her concern. With that, I closed the door and Apparated to the woods.

I found this forest a few years ago, when I had graduated from Hogwarts and could no longer use the Shrieking Shack for my transformations. It was a nice little wood that was close enough that I could usually find my way home after transforming but isolated enough that I wasn't taking the risk of hurting someone.

Not only was the location ideal, but it was also calm and made me feel a slight bit more relaxed during the night. The trees were tall but not foreboding, and because many of the trees were evergreens and kept their green needles year-round, the whole area seemed lush and beautiful.

I arrived in a small clearing and sat on a large rock facing the sun. I always enjoyed watching the sunsets here. The view was the best, and the sunsets were any variety of shades of pinks, purples, and blues.

As I sat in the clearing, I allowed my thoughts to wander in an attempt to think of something other than my nearing transformation.

For some reason that I can't name, I thought of Tonks and what she had said earlier. It was touching that she was concerned for my well-being after I'd only known her for a week. People usually ran away from me after they found out what I was, but she had accepted it, even asked if she could help.

The sun slowly began to set below the horizon, and I sighed knowing that it was only a matter of minutes before the moon would rise.

Suddenly, I spotted a large black figure trotting its way toward me. I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a better look at what it was. Soon, however, I saw that it was a large, furry black dog. It made its way to my side and sat down next to the rock, panting happily. It set its head down in my lap and closed its eyes.

"Are you mad, Sirius?" I groaned, pushing the dog away. "Someone will find you here!"

The dog backed away a few inches and tilted its head to the side. I looked into its face, a face that plainly said "I don't care". I sighed, and the dog scooted closer to me and placed its head back in my lap. I stroked its head, and the dog wagged its tail joyfully.

"Thanks for this, Sirius," I offered gratefully.

The dog looked up at me with deep gray eyes, and I could tell that he was happy to be here for me.

The sky gradually began to darken, and I felt the first pains of my bones starting to twist and crack. My limbs slowly began to stretch and bend until they had nearly doubled in length, and my hands and feet spread into the shape of large paws.

Sirius backed away from me a few feet as the moon rose higher in the sky. The first rays of moonlight touched my skin, and I keeled over as my body started to contort itself.

Fur sprang from my face and arms, and my nose grew into a snout. I felt my back begin to curve until I was on all fours. Sirius curled up on the ground by my feet, trying to reassure me that the worst was almost over.

My teeth began growing and sharpening inside my mouth, and I had the most uncontrollable urge to howl at the now risen moon.

I closed my eyes and let the wolf take over my mind.

_**Sorry that it's a little short. I know that my chapters have started getting shorter, but I'll try to make the next few a little longer. Also, just as a heads up, I'm going away next week, so it may be a while before I get the next chapter up. I'll post it as soon as I can! **_

_**I hope you liked this chapter! Send me your thoughts in a Review!**_


	12. Chapter 12: Tick Tock

TICK TOCK

_**I'm really, really sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up! I got huge inspiration for it, but it came at a time when I couldn't write it down, and then my stupid brain erased it while I slept. I've suffered from major writer's block all week, and I'm not sure how happy I am with this chapter. I hope it's ok! Enjoy, and sorry again! Review at the end, please, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! You guys are awesome :)**_

_**I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, you can bet your left shoe that Remus, Tonks, Fred, Sirius, Dobby, Lily, James, and a whole bunch of other people would have survived.**_

_Tonks_

I couldn't sleep at all that night. I kept thinking of Remus and Sirius and praying that they both would return home safely.

I tried reading some more books, but after reading the same line for the tenth time, I decided that it wasn't going to give me enough of a distraction. I put the book on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch.

I sat there in silence for several seconds, listening to the light ticking of the nearby clock. I felt like I would burst. I needed something to get my mind off of Remus and Sirius. I bounced my leg up and down impatiently. The clock read 5:03 A.M. I sighed. I had at least another hour before they would be back. There had to be something I could do. _Tick…tick…tick_. Each movement of the hand was like a blow to my patience. _Tick…tick…_tick. 5:04 A.M. I shook my head and pushed myself up into a standing position, trying to block out the annoying ticking.

I paced around the sitting room, looking for something to keep my mind occupied. I thought about cooking something for when they got back, but I quickly rejected that idea. I was downright awful at cooking and would have made a mess that looked like someone had let a dozen Cornish Pixies loose in there. I thought of going for a walk, but it was a bit early for that. I could just sit and wait for them, but then I was left to wonder if they were alright, and that was almost torturous.

In my reverie, I had lost track of where I was in the sitting room, and I tripped over Sirius' cushion and fell onto it face first. I got up, rubbing my sore nose and greatly reconsidering my choice of wearing large, clunky boots around the house. I looked around the room. It was a mess. Sirius' cushion was now slightly askew and was blocking the door a bit. There were books scattered everywhere in the room, and everything was covered by a thick layer of dust. My blanket and pillow were hanging off of the couch at an awkward angle, making it look heavily disheveled.

It was then that I found my distraction: cleaning. I never was much good at housekeeping spells, but I knew a few. Besides, what I couldn't do with magic I could just do the good old-fashioned Muggle way like my dad taught me when I was young.

I straightened my robes and pointed my wand at the large cushion. "_Reducio_." I cast, and the cushion spun around until it was back to its normal size. I placed it back on the chair and moved on to fix the couch. I folded the blanket, placed it in the closet in the hallway, and did the same with the pillow. I then gathered up the many books in the room and arranged them in two neat stacks on the floor beneath the coffee table.

Now came the difficult part of trying my luck at cleaning charms. I walked over to the side table, pointed my wand at it, and said "_Tergio Table._" I shut my eyes tight, praying that nothing would explode. When I didn't hear any bangs or crashes, I dared to open one eye a crack. To my utter surprise, the table was clean! Well, there was still a considerable amount of dust on it, but it was definitely cleaner. My face lit up with a smile, happy with my small victory. I continued on to the coffee table, breathing a sigh of relief when I realized that it was still intact after my charm. I moved to the fireplace and cast, "_Scourgify._" The fireplace cleaned itself without a problem. After cleaning the fireplace, I moved to straighten out the cushions of the couch and chairs in the room.

When I had finished, I stood tall and looked around the room. It wasn't spotlessly clean as my mother would have liked, but it was definitely better than it had been. I glanced at the clock to see how much time I had spent. It was 5:22. I still had more than half an hour until Remus and Sirius would return. I thought for a moment before deciding that attempting to clean the bathroom and kitchen might distract me until they came back.

I grasped my wand tightly in my hand and headed into the bathroom. I Scourgified and Tergioed everything in the room, and after cleaning up from a slight mishap with the shower (I swear I didn't know casting Scourgify at the showerhead would make water spew all over the floor), I moved into the kitchen.

I had just finished cleaning the sink when I heard the front door burst open. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest, and I ran into the sitting room. Sirius was standing in the doorway with a nearly unconscious Remus leaning over his shoulder. Remus had a few new cuts across his face, and clothes were torn in several places. Other than that, however, he appeared to be alright, only exhausted.

I immediately rushed over and put my shoulders underneath Remus' other arm, helping Sirius to support his friend's weight. Sirius looked almost as tired as Remus. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was severely unkempt.

"Let's get him to bed," Sirius advised. His voice was heavy with lack of sleep. The two of us half carried half dragged Remus to his room and laid him on the bed. Remus was asleep almost instantaneously. "Can you take care of the cuts while I mix up some potions for him?" Sirius asked.

I nodded, and Sirius left to go to the next room. I pulled my wand out of my jeans pocket and easily healed the cuts and bruises on Remus' face. I glanced over his arms and saw several cuts and scratches lining them. I moved to heal them, but I paused when I noticed how his muscles made light ridges in his arms. It was subtle, yet prominent; there, but not in an in-your-face way. It drew me in closer to him, and I ran my fingers lightly over the spot where the protruding ridge of his bicep met with the crease of his elbow. A scratch went down the length of his forearm, and I moved my fingers tenderly over it, as if my touch would remove his pain. Just then, I heard Sirius enter the room. I snapped back so I was standing upright again and went back to healing Remus' cuts and scratches. Sirius placed a vial of potion on the bedside table.

"He can take this when he wakes up," Sirius explained. "It'll take away some of the pain."

I nodded. I had finished healing Remus, and I moved my eyes up and down Sirius' tired figure. "You look like you're about to faint, Sirius," I noted. Sirius yawned. I led him into the sitting room and set up a place for him on the couch. "You can rest here," I insisted. "I can take care of Remus."

Sirius must not have heard my last sentence, for when I looked to him for a response, he was already asleep on the cushions.

I shook my head and chuckled before going back to finish up the kitchen. I had been cleaning up the kitchen for about twenty minutes, and both Remus and Sirius were still sleeping peacefully. I finished wiping down the table and went to clean off the countertops, but, of course, my feet had other ideas. I tripped over the table leg, sending my wand flying out of my hand and soaring through the air. I hadn't noticed what happened until I righted myself. I tried to catch my wand, but it was too late. Jets of pink lights were surging from the tip. I cringed when I saw one of the streams of light hit the tiny pot where Remus kept the flour. The pot burst, and flour erupted all over the room, leaving a snowy covering on everything. As my wand continued flipping, yet another jet of light landed on the bowl of fruit, causing mashed apples, bananas, grapes, and oranges to soar into the floor and walls. Finally, my wand landed on the floor with the faintest tap.

I couldn't believe it. My clumsiness had outdone itself this time. I stood in the center of the kitchen, flour and pulverized fruits covering my entire body and making my hair a sticky mess. I was completely dumbstruck. My eyes wandered all around the room, and I took in the utter disaster that once resembled a kitchen. The mixture of the flour and mashed fruit left disgusting looking globs plastered to the cabinets and walls. The explosion of flour caused the entire kitchen to look like it had been covered in a fresh coating of snow. I couldn't even see the linoleum flooring beneath the white powder.

I clenched my eyes closed in anger. This was going to take forever to clean. I had tried to help, but I just ended up making things worse. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I had to clean this up before Remus or Sirius saw it. I took a step forward to pick up my wand from where it had fallen on the ground, but my clumsiness wasn't finished torturing me yet. I slipped on a bit of smashed banana and slid to the ground. I landed flat on my back with a large thud. I cursed my clumsiness and tried to rise from the floor.

Just then, I heard movements coming from outside the doorway. My face turned deep red, for I knew someone was about to discover my mess. A few seconds later, Remus stood in the entrance to the kitchen. He had changed into a fresh set of clothes. He still looked tired, but he appeared to be feeling a bit better than he did when Sirius brought him in. He looked around the room for a few moments, his mouth opening in shock when he saw that even a few bits of apples and oranges had made their way to the ceiling. Finally, his eyes fell on me.

"I thought I heard someone in here," he said playfully, though he sounded tired. Despite his exhaustion, I saw a light smirk creep onto his face, and there was a cheerful glint in his bright blue eyes.

"You're not mad?" I asked in disbelief. I thought that he would have been livid upon seeing the mess.

He shook his head and laughed quietly. "No," he replied, "I'm a bit surprised that you managed to get fruit all the way up there," he teased pointing toward the ceiling, "but I'm not mad." He gave me a gentle look, instantly easing any remaining tension in the room. "Here, I'll help you clean it up." He strode over to me to help me up, but as he was walking, I saw that he was headed straight for a slippery piece of apple mush.

"Remus, watch out for that—" I warned, but it was too late. Remus had already slid and fallen right next to me. Worry rushed through me, and I tried to help him. I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him into a sitting position. "Are you alright? You should go back to bed. I can manage here," I said so quickly there was hardly any space between the words.

Remus pushed himself so he was sitting and looked me straight in the eyes. Cheeriness lit up his face, and he threw his head back and laughed.

At first I was confused. He had just transformed, and now he had fallen onto the hard floor. He shouldn't be laughing. He should be in bed, but Remus kept laughing. He laughed until his face was tomato red.

I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. Finally, I gave in and laughed with him. We sat in the middle of the kitchen with a mixture of various mashed fruits and flour covering our hair, faces, and clothes. I realized that we must have been quite the sight, but it didn't matter to either of us just then.

I heard Sirius rise from the couch and make his way grumpily to the kitchen. His eyes were barely open, and his hair was sticking out in every direction possible. He took one look around the kitchen a shook his head. "Will you two keep it down with whatever it is you're doing in here?" he begged angrily. "Some of us would like to sleep a bit." With that he left to continue his nap while Remus and I burst into another fit of hysterical laughter.

_**So there's the newest chapter! I hope that it was worth the wait and that everyone liked it! I tried to make it a little longer to make up for the big gap between chapters. Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll be able to update next. I'm leaving for a basketball tournament in less than a week, and I won't be back for a while. I'll try to get another chapter up before I go, but I can't make any promises. If you want, while you're waiting for me to post another chapter to this, check out some of my other stories. I have a few other Remus and Tonks ones if you're into that stuff :) **_

_**Anyways, thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a Review!**_


	13. Chapter 13 Outlawed

OUTLAWED

_**Hi again! I'm so, so sorry that this took so long to get up. I know I'm a horrible writer for making you wait so long for chapters, but I'll try to get better about it! If you need a refresher about what happened in the last chapter, go back and read the last few paragraphs of it, and that should help :) Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, added this to their favorites, and subscribed! You all are amazing!**_

_**You know the drill by now :P Nope, Harry Potter still isn't mine.**_

It took us a solid hour to clean up the mess I'd made in the kitchen. Remus cleaned the ceilings and floors with his wand while I cleaned the cabinets with an old rag (Remus didn't trust me with cleaning spells anymore).

Remus never asked exactly how it happened, which made me very grateful. I don't think that I would have prevented an embarrassed blush from rising into my face if I told him about my little stumble.

Remus was actually really good about the whole thing. His hair was caked with mushy fruit and flour, and his clothes were a mess from his fall, yet he cleaned without complaint. I knew that he must have been sore having only transformed the night before, but he never said anything about it. He just went on waving his wand around the room in an attempt to scrub the disgusting goop off the walls.

When we had finished cleaning the kitchen, which admittedly was quite the feat, Remus stood in the center of the room and admired our work.

"No more fruit on the ceiling," he enthused with a smile that lifted a happy sparkle into his bright blue eyes.

I smiled at him. I'd missed seeing that youthful, almost boyish, glint in his eyes. It brought a brightness to his face that I hadn't seen in such a long time, a brightness that made him look less tired and made the scars on his face seem to disappear.

He looked so perfect standing there. Sure his face, clothes, and hair were sticky with flour and mashed fruits, but I couldn't help but notice how his sandy brown hair just barely fell into his baby blue eyes, giving him that mischievous Marauder look. His collared shirt was a size too large, but it still showed the slightly protruding muscles of his shoulders.

Remus cleared his throat loudly, and I realized that I had been staring. I snapped my eyes away, and cursed myself. I couldn't start thinking about him like that. It would end badly for the both of us.

Neither of said anything for a while, making the situation a bit awkward. Suddenly, Sirius voice sounded from the other room.

"Remus, Tonks," he called, his voice sounding distracted, "I think you need to see this." Remus and I headed into the sitting room, and two things immediately struck me as odd, the first being that Sirius was already awake so early in the morning, the second was the horrified look on his face as he stared in shock at what appeared to be a torn envelope. He was paler than a ghost, and his eyes were wide.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked when he reached his friend. Sirius turned to Remus and handed him the envelope.

"An owl dropped this through your letter box," he explained, his voice was frightened as though he was worried that the letter would bite him.

Remus opened his mouth to ask why Sirius had been reading through his mail, but Sirius cut him off. "Just read it," he urged.

Remus obliged, and he unfolded a piece of parchment, scanning his eyes over it before his face took on the same paled expression Sirius' had had.

Remus lifted his eyes off the paper and turned to his friend.

"They can't be serious," he sighed.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to hide my irritation at being left out of the loop. Remus handed the paper to me, and I took in the sight of the Ministry of Magic seal emblazoned at the top of the letter. I grasped the parchment in my hands and began to read.

_In light of recent events including the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the escape of known Death Eater and mass-murderer Sirius Black, the Ministry feels that it is in the best interests of its people to put several new laws into action. The goal of these laws is to protect against illegal and harmful Death Eater activities and to capture the recently escaped convict. Anyone who fails to comply with these laws will be taken to the Ministry for immediate questioning._

_1. Everyone is to remain indoors between the hours of 11P.M. and 5A.M. unless granted special permission by the Ministry._

_2. No books concerning the topics of the Dark Arts, Time Travel, or similar subjects may be purchased or sold without the authorization of the Ministry._

_3. There may be no meetings of more than 10 persons without the approval of the Ministry._

_4. All mail and post may be checked and read by Ministry officials prior to being sent. Any mail found to contain dangerous material will be returned and the sender sent for questioning._

_5. Anyone who withholds information as to the whereabouts of Black or other suspected Death Eaters shall be imprisoned in Azkaban._

_In addition to these laws, all houses and businesses shall be searched by Ministry officials. Anyone found to be in the possession of illegal objects including books of the aforementioned subjects or evidence of Death Eater activities shall be imprisoned and held for later questioning._

_We thank you for your cooperation in our endeavor to make the Wizarding community safe for all people._

_Millicent Bagnold, Minister of Magic_

I lowered the paper, and I felt the color drain from my face. We had at least twenty now illegal books on Time Travel in this very room. How was I supposed to get back if I had nothing to research? Also, if houses were being searched, the Ministry would find out about Sirius, and he would be forced back into Azkaban. Not only that, but Remus and I would be put into Azkaban as well for harboring a dangerous criminal, which would completely ruin any chance I had of getting back to my time while changing as little as possible. It suddenly became hard to breathe.

Remus turned to me, but I couldn't do anything but stare straight ahead, my mind still whirling. "Are these supposed to be here?" he asked rapidly, and I knew that he was asking if we had had these laws in my time as well.

I snapped out of my thoughts and back to reality. I remembered my dad talking to my mum about the new laws when I was no older than five-years-old. I even remembered Ministry officials coming to search my house when I was younger. My mum had taken me outside to play while my dad tended to the people searching the house, so I didn't understand it much then. Now, however, it was as though everything was coming full circle.

I nodded in response to Remus' question. Remus sighed heavily, and Sirius shook his head.

Then, Sirius strode across the hall and into Remus' room without a word. When he returned he had a handful of Floo Powder in his fist.

Remus eyed the powder incredulously. "Where d'you think you're going?" he questioned with narrowed eyes.

Sirius quickened his pace and headed for the fireplace, "I'm not going to let you two go to Azkaban for me," he asserted. "I'm leaving before anyone knows I've been here."

Just as Sirius was about to step into the fireplace, Remus grabbed his shoulder, holding him back. "You're staying," Remus said shortly.

Sirius reluctantly stepped out of the fireplace. He sighed and shook his head again. "You don't know what it's like there," he barely whispered, making eye contact with nothing but the floor. "You can lose your mind there, Remus. It's a wonder I didn't, and I was just there a week!" I'd never heard his voice sound like that before. It was desperate, almost begging. It was such a change from the carefree and fun-loving Sirius I had always known. "I'll be dead before I go back or let you and Tonks go there for me!"

"We're not going to let them take you back there," Remus countered, still holding Sirius back. "We'll figure it out." Sirius gave him a doubtful look.

"We're not about to let you go out there on your own, Sirius," I argued sternly. "You're staying."

Remus held out his hand for the Floo Powder, and Sirius handed it over like a child that had been caught stealing from a cookie jar. "Y'know only you two would tell a suspected mass-murder to _stay_ in your house," he joked, slowly returning back to the Sirius I had known my whole life.

"Well we have been known to have poor judgment," Remus jibed. Things were gradually going back to the easy and fun-loving way I had become so accustomed to around Remus and Sirius, when suddenly, I remembered something.

"Not to dampen the mood," I began as Sirius stepped away from the fireplace and back into the room, "but we do need to find some way to get rid of over a dozen books on 'illegal subjects' before the Ministry comes to inspect everything."

We all sat and started to think of how we could get twenty books out of the house without looking suspicious. Sirius suggested burning them, but Remus, ever the bookworm, quickly shot that idea down. I thought about returning them all to the libraries they had come from, but we wouldn't exactly be inconspicuous carrying around twenty books containing outlawed material. We had been brainstorming for fifteen minutes when Remus' head perked up.

"Can I see that notice again?" he asked, reaching for the Ministry's letter. He scanned over it again before turning to us. "I think I've got it," he smiled before laying the parchment on the coffee table so all three of us could see. "Look," he instructed, his index finger just beneath the second law, "it says that these books are illegal 'without the authorization of the Ministry'," he followed the words with his finger as he spoke. "That means that there are some people that are allowed to have them."

I scrunched my face up, confused. I wasn't completely sure where he was going with this. I mean, sure, we could _try_ to get authorization to have these books, but there was no way they would allow a werewolf and school friend of Sirius Black to have special privileges.

I looked to Sirius and saw that his expression was similar to mine. "Don't you see?" Remus was exasperated now. He was talking so quickly now, I had to listen carefully just to pick up bits of what he was saying. "Who else is more likely to get approved to have books on Time Travel than a school? They have to teach about it there!" he explained. The pieces started coming together now, and Sirius and I nodded in understanding.

"We can send a Patronus to Dumbledore," Remus continued letting us in on his plan, "and we can ask him if he'll keep the books at Hogwarts until things die down a bit. Then, if we need them again, we can see if he can send them to us." It really was the perfect plan. Dumbledore already knew about my situation, so he would understand why we still needed the books. And Remus was right, a school was bound to get authorization to keep at least a few books on Time Traveling. After all, Dumbledore himself had said that Hogwarts housed information on Time Travel.

As soon as we were all in agreement that this would be the best way to hide our many banned volumes, Remus sent the Patronus. The plan was set; now all we had to do was wait and pray that it worked before Ministry officials came knocking on our door.

_**I hope you liked this chapter! I've been suffering from writer's block. Even though I had the idea for what I wanted to happen, the words were just not coming to me, so I'm worried that this came out really disjointed and choppy. For those of you wondering why Time Travel books were outlawed, the idea behind that was that people could go months or years back in time (just like Tonks is trying to do) and try to help Voldemort gain more power and prevent his downfall. Plus it provided an interesting plot twist :P**_

_**Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, and I'll get over this stupid writer's block. Don't forget to Review! They make me happy :)**_


	14. Chapter 14: Doubt

DOUBT

_**Hello again! Sorry for making that last chapter have a plot twist and ending it so abruptly! I had another idea, but I wasn't sure how to connect it to the rest of the story yet, but I think I've worked it all out *happy dance!* Hope you like it! Don't forget to Review at the end! It makes me happy :)**_

_**Also, big thanks to everyone who has reviewed! (I never thought I'd write a story with more than 30 reviews :D) You guys are awesome!**_

_**If you really thought I was J.K. Rowling, I'm flattered, but, sadly, you would be mistaken :( I own nothing**_

Remus, Sirius, and I waited in the sitting room for Dumbledore's reply. We were all tense; none of us even felt at ease to breathe. Remus was hunched over on the sofa with his elbows resting on his knees. He was holding his hands together so tightly that his knuckles were beginning to turn white. He stared at the front door nervously and refused to lift his gaze. Sirius bobbed his feet up and down against the ground, making his knees bounce. He couldn't sit still; he kept fidgeting with his hands or with the couch cushions. He was such a stark contrast from the man sitting next to him still as a statue.

I sat across from them in one of the armchairs. I leaned my right elbow against my knee and rested my head on my hand. I strained my ears for any indication that Ministry officials were coming to the door, but none came.

It was unbearable just sitting there and waiting. None of us felt much like doing anything else; even if we did, there would be no way we would forget our worry that the Ministry would discover the illegal material in the sitting room.

We had been sitting silently for at least half an hour before Sirius finally tried to break the tension. "Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm hungry." I could tell that he was trying to maintain his normal, comedic tone, but his nerves were audible in the shakiness of his voice.

Sirius rose from the sofa and slowly made his way to the kitchen, leaving Remus and me alone in the tense sitting room.

"Do you think they'll come?" Remus asked quietly, rubbing his palms together anxiously.

"I don't know," I replied lamely. "I mean, they've got hundreds, if not thousands, of houses to search. There's no way they'll get to all of them today or even tomorrow," I reasoned, trying to sound confident. Truthfully, I was more scared than I had ever been. I had faced Death Eaters and Dark Wizards, but I was never as fearful then as I was now. I couldn't stand the thought that Sirius could be thrown back in Azkaban despite his innocence. He never talked about what it was like in Azkaban, and no one ever pressed him to say anything about it. I knew that it must have been horrible, though. I had fought dementors as part of my Auror training, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I couldn't imagine being around those awful creatures all day every day.

I shivered at the thought of not only Sirius going to Azkaban, but Remus as well. If the house was searched, he would surely get thrown in prison for the books sitting less than two feet away from me. He was trying to help me, and now, it could get him into trouble. I felt guilty.

I wished that Dumbledore would respond to us. I knew that he was a busy man, and he was probably busier than ever what with these new laws, but I hoped that his response would give us a sense of security. At least then we would know whether we had a place to hide the books. The uncertainty of everything was enough to make me mad.

Just as I was certain that I was about to lose my mind, I heard several bangs come from the kitchen. It was like someone was keeping time. _ Bang…bang…bang…_. Remus turned over his shoulder and yelled into the kitchen. "Oi, Sirius," he warned, "try not to make a mess in there. We just cleaned it."

"Sure thing, Moony," Sirius called, "but how do you get the bread out of this Muggle bread cooker thing?"

I nearly smiled; trust Sirius to diffuse the anxiety. "I'll help him," I offered, rising from the armchair. I stepped into the kitchen and saw Sirius staring at the toaster with a baffled expression on his face. I couldn't help but smile widely. He had a large pan clutched in his hand, and there were several dents in it from where he had struck the toaster in an attempt to get to his toast.

"I don't think I'm doing this right," he admitted as he placed the pan on the counter.

I laughed, "You lift up on the trigger there, and the bread pops up," I instructed, pointing to the lever. He did as I told him, and two burnt pieces of bread popped up from the slots.

"Thanks," he acknowledged. He lifted the toast out of the toaster and took a bite. His face screwed up in disgust. "It doesn't taste very good," he remarked.

"That's because you burned it," I told him with a laugh as I placed two new pieces of bread into the toaster. I started back for the sitting room, "Think you can manage on your own this time?"

Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but a silvery phoenix flew through the kitchen window and into the sitting room. Sirius and I followed it to the next room and saw it land on the coffee table in front of Remus.

"You may bring your books, Remus," Dumbledore's voice told them. "I have opened the Floo Network, so you can Floo to my office. I will keep them with me until it is safe for me to return them to you. I also wish to speak with you and Miss Tonks if you have the time." With that, it disappeared. An overwhelming feeling of relief flowed through me. We had a place to hide our books! Maybe we would get through this search, and no one would be sent to Azkaban after all!

Remus turned to me. "We should go soon," he advised. I nodded. "Do you think you'll be okay here by yourself?" he asked Sirius. I could tell he was apprehensive about leaving Sirius here alone in case someone came to search the house.

Sirius waved him off, "Nah, I'll be fine," he returned. "If anyone comes I'll just transform and bark at them until they leave," he finished with a mischievous smile.

"Good plan," Remus said with a hint of sarcasm. "I guess we should get going before we're caught out after hours."

Both Remus and I grabbed a stack of about ten books and stepped into the fireplace. "We'll try to be back before long," Remus told Sirius before throwing down the Floo Powder and shouting "Headmaster's office".

We appeared in the fireplace just outside Dumbledore's main office. We walked forward, well, I more tottered awkwardly because I could barely see over the high stack of books. Remus shifted his hands under his large pile of books so that one hand was free and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Dumbledore's voice called. Remus pushed the door open and led the way inside. Dumbledore sat behind his large desk in the middle of the office and beckoned us inside. "Ah, Remus, Miss Tonks, so glad you dropped by. I see you brought the books."

"Yeah," Remus answered, "thanks a lot for letting us keep them here."

"Of course," Dumbledore replied, "just bring them around here, and I'll keep them in a safe place." I followed Remus behind Dumbledore's desk. "Just set them here," he instructed, indicating to the floor. We set the book down, and Dumbledore withdrew his wand. He tapped the side of the desk with the tip of his wand. A bright yellow spark erupted from the wand tip, and a large square began carving itself out of the desk. The wooden square then floated out of the desk, revealing a hollow crevice.

"You can put them in here," Dumbledore offered. Remus and I piled our books in. When we had finished, the large square floated back into place and disappeared, the desk resuming its previously solid appearance.

"Thank you," I breathed.

Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgement. "That should keep them safe for a while," he reasoned.

"You said you wanted to talk to us, Professor," Remus reminded him.

"Oh, yes," replied Dumbledore brightly, "I wanted to tell you that I have spoken with some of the other teachers about traveling many years into the future," he started. "No one had heard of anything, except for one person."

"Who?" I asked.

"Professor Snape." I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. There was no way Snape could help us. He hated Remus. Why would he help him? Even if he had gotten along with Remus, he still killed Dumbledore, or would in fifteen years! If that wasn't enough of a reason not to trust him, then I didn't know what was. I was about to express my concerns, but Dumbledore continued. "Severus said that he had heard of potions that could transport people backwards and forwards in time for many years. I suggest that you speak with him and make sure he knows of your situation," Dumbledore advised. "You'll have to do it another time, though. It's getting late, and I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for being out after hours. I swear the Ministry is coming up with the strangest laws nowadays."

"We'll try to meet with Professor Snape soon," Remus answered. "Thanks again. This really helped us out a lot."

"It was my pleasure," Dumbledore replied as Remus made his way back to the fireplace. I hung back next to the desk.

"Professor," I began quietly so Remus couldn't hear, "I don't know if Professor Snape can help us." Dumbledore eyed me curiously from above his half moon spectacles. "What I mean is," I went on, "Professor Snape has had a history of—"

"Tonks, aren't you coming?" Remus called from the fireplace.

"In a minute," I dismissed, turning back to Dumbledore, but he waved me off.

"We'll talk about this another time, Miss Tonks," he said, rising from his seat.

"But, sir, this is important," I begged.

"You need to get back," he told me with a wave of his hand. "We don't want you being sent to Azkaban for getting home a few minutes late." I gave him a pleading look, which he returned with, "You should go now."

I sighed and headed back to the fireplace, where Remus was standing, ready to throw the Floo Powder into the ashes. Green flames enveloped us, sending us back to the sitting room of Remus' house.

_**So there's the newest chapter! Sorry that this one was a little shorter than the last few. I have an idea for the next chapter, but I've been really busy lately and don't know when I'll be able to get it up. Don't think this story has been abandoned if it's a few weeks before I update. I promise to continue with this story! I'm determined to finish it :) Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter, and don't forget to Review!**_


	15. Chapter 15: Compromising

COMPROMISING

_**Hello again! Here's the newest chapter. It's a pretty short (please don't be mad), so I'm doing a double update. Thanks to everyone who has been reading! Hope you all like this! **_

_**Harry Potter is the work of J.K. Rowling, not me.**_

"Sirius?" Remus called as he brushed ashes off his robes and helped me out of the fireplace. Everything looked just as we had left it, and there were no signs that anyone had come to search the house yet. It still looked quiet. "Sirius, are you here?" Remus asked again.

Just then, Sirius came out of the kitchen carrying a large sandwich in his hand. "I'b right here, Mooby," he answered, chewing on a huge bite of his sandwich.

Remus shook his head. "You know you could choke on that, right?"

Sirius swallowed, "What, I'm hungry," he said defensively.

Remus sighed, "Did anyone come?"

"Nope. It's been pretty quiet," Sirius added as he took another large bite. "Whab dib Dubbledore wan' to talk 'bout?"

"He told us about something that might help us get Tonks back home," Remus answered, sitting in one of the armchairs. Sirius sat across from him on the couch while I remained standing.

"We need to talk about that," I said warningly. "I think we ought to find another way."

"Well, what did Dumbledore say?" Sirius asked again.

"He said we should talk to Snape about a potion that can bring Tonks forward in time," Remus replied.

Sirius nearly choked on a bite of his sandwich. "Snivellus?" he responded after coughing loudly. Both Remus and I nodded. "What can Snivelly do to help us? I mean he _hates_ us, and he's working with the Death Eaters now."

"Dumbledore thinks that Snape might know how to make a potion that can bring people forwards in time," Remus said.

"But, there's no way we can trust him!" Sirius countered. "He was working with the enemy! How do we know that he's not just going to go and off us?"

"Dumbledore seems to trust him," Remus answered.

"If you ask me, I'm starting to think that old Dumbles is starting to lose it," Sirius responded, waving his finger in a circle beside his head.

"Dumbledore is smart," Remus defended. "I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"Okay," Sirius started, "let's say that, by some miracle, Dumbledore's right, and Snape's not some deceptive, conniving git, that doesn't mean he's going to help us. He's still mad after what happened with the Whomping Willow."

"I've got to say I'm with Sirius on this one," I interjected. "We'd have to tell Snape _everything_. He'd probably have to know about Sirius, and he would know about our Time Travel predicament, and he could turn us in for a bunch of things. Then we'd spend years in Azkaban, and that won't help anyone."

"Do either of you have any better ideas?" Remus asked harshly. Neither Sirius nor I said anything. "This is the only lead we have," he added.

I shot Remus a doubtful look. "I still don't know if we can trust him. It just doesn't feel like it would be a good idea."

Remus sighed. "Alright," he consented, "if you both are worried about it that much, we'll wait to talk to Snape. But, if we don't find anything in the next week, we're going to meet with him." Sirius and I nodded in agreement. "Until then, we can read books on potions. Those might help us, and they're not outlawed, yet anyway," he finished.

"Okay," I agreed.

"Alright," Sirius said begrudgingly, "but don't expect me to like it if you two have to see that creep."

Remus smiled, "I wouldn't expect anything less, Padfoot."

_**Onto the next chapter!**_


	16. Chapter 16: Prejudiced

PREJUDICED

_**Just quick background: This happens in the same day as the last chapter. I wasn't sure if I was clear enough in the writing. Enjoy! Review at the end please :)**_

_**If Harry Potter was mine, I would have more money than I know what to do with. Seeing as I only have about eighty-five cents in my wallet, I think it's safe to say that Harry Potter isn't mine.**_

"Sirius, did you manage to eat all the food?" Remus scolded as he opened the refrigerator to look for food for dinner.

"It's not like there was much in there to begin with, Moony," Sirius answered from the sitting room. I stood by the counter having already checked the cupboards for something to eat. Remus and I were starving; neither of us had eaten all day, and it was already six o'clock at night. Sirius claimed that he wasn't hungry after eating his huge sandwich, but I suspected that he only said that because he knew there was nothing to eat. He probably would have come running if we told him we'd found something.

Remus shut the refrigerator door in defeat. "Fancy a trip to the supermarket?" he asked me as he pulled on a jacket and grabbed some money off the counter. "You be okay here, Sirius?"

"Yeah I'll be fine," Sirius responded. "You two go and have fun without me."

Remus shot him a sympathetic look, "We'll be back soon," he comforted as we both headed out the door.

"It's not far," Remus said as we headed down the sidewalk. "We can just walk about a mile this way." I nodded.

It was a good night for a walk. The sun was low on the horizon, leaving rosy shades of pink in the sky. Some children were playing Exploding Snap in the street while their parents watched from the porch. It was chilly out, but not uncomfortably so, just enough that you felt a coolness run down your back.

"Do you think Sirius will be alright?" I asked. I felt horrible leaving him alone nearly all day, especially when there was a risk that Ministry officials could come knocking at any moment.

Remus looked worried. "I'm sure he'll be alright. He'll be much better once we get food," he added with a slight smile. I smiled back. It was nice having Remus to ease the tension. He didn't do it in the joking, comical way that Sirius did; he did it in a comforting, relaxing way that made people want to get closer to him.

We rounded a corner, and I saw a small market about ten feet away. A green and white striped awning covered the door, and above it was a sign. The word "Don's" was written in green cursive while the word "Market" was written in white script. It was a homey-looking place. The building appeared to be squeezed between two larger apartment buildings, and it was only maybe twenty feet wide by about nine feet tall. "Here it is," Remus announced as we approached it. He opened the door and held it for me.

I could feel myself inhale sharply upon seeing the inside. The inside was about ten times bigger than it looked from the outside. There were rows of around fifteen aisles lining the back wall. There was a produce section directly to my left, where delicious-looking fruits and vegetables were stacked neatly in place. Shiny green and white tiles led the way into the aisles and registers. Occasionally, an employee dressed in deep green robes and a white cap would walk past us with a package of produce hovering about their wand tip.

I stood in the entrance to the shop with my mouth agape. Many families strolled through the store with their children in green shopping carts that were piled high with food. Remus bent down and grabbed a green basket from the corner. "Ready?" he asked, snapping my gaze back to him. I nodded, and we started down the aisles.

We went down the first aisle, containing various pastas, sauces, and other related foods, and Remus put a box of spaghetti and sauce into the basket. "Do you mind going down the next aisle and getting some eggs and milk?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied as I headed to the coolers. I picked out a carton of eggs and a half gallon of milk and started back down the pasta aisle. When I got there, I found a stout man with green robes talking to Remus. The man was nearly completely bald on top, save for a few gray wisps that he had combed over the bare patch. He had a thick mustache on his upper lip. As I approached, I could make out a black name tag pinned to his robes that read "DON" in large letters, and underneath in smaller letters was "Owner".

"Remus I have to ask you to leave," I heard him say in a deep voice as I put the eggs and milk in the basket. "People are getting nervous."

"Is there a problem?" I interjected, looking from Don to Remus.

"I'm afraid that you and Remus will have to leave, Miss," Don told me.

"And why is that?" I asked, staring at directly at him now.

"People are getting anxious about having someone in his—" he broke off, struggling for the right word, "_condition_ here while the shop," he finished.

"I've been shopping here for years, Don," Remus argued, "and it's never been a problem before."

"It's these new laws," Don explained. "They've got everyone all worked up." He looked around nervously. "Look, Remus, you really do have to go now. People have threatened to leave if you stay. They think you're dangerous," he added in nearly a whisper.

"But Remus isn't dangerous!" I countered. "People can't just do that!" My hair was starting to glow scarlet and I could feel the anger growing inside me. "He has a right to shop here just like everyone else does!"

"Tonks," Remus tried to stop my rant, but I kept going. I was sick of Remus getting treated like dirt for something that wasn't his fault.

"He's not hurting anything by buying his groceries!"

"Tonks," Remus warned a little more forcefully this time.

"People can't just tell us to leave because of something he has no control over!"

"Tonks!" Remus said so harshly that I had to stop my speech. "It's fine," he added more calmly, putting a hand on my shoulder to calm me down. "I'll just pay for these things and go, Don."

Don looked at me disdainfully, "Thanks, Remus," he said huffily.

Remus led me to one of the cash registers. We each took a bag of groceries and hurried out the door.

"Why did you just let him do that to you?" I asked Remus, irritated. Remus maintained a hard stare at the street. "You're no different than anyone else in there! You have every right to buy your groceries in a town supermarket!"

"Just leave it!" Remus said angrily.

"Remus, you have to let people know that prejudices against werewolves is just plain dumb! You're not dangerous! You don't have to let them do that to you!"

"And you didn't have to let the whole store know what was going on!" Remus and I had stopped on the street now and were glaring at each other. We were starting to earn a few glances from passersby.

"Well someone had to stand up to that idiot, and you certainly weren't doing anything about it!" I yelled.

"Because I actually have some self-control!" Remus returned. I had never seen him get this angry, not even when we fought back in my time.

"Excuse me," I retorted, "you think that _I_ have no self-control? I was only trying to help you! People need to see that—"

"People aren't going to change!" Remus interrupted. "No matter what you say to them, they're always going to think I'm a monster!"

"And they always will unless you do something about it! You can't just sit and watch this happen!"

"It's not like I enjoy getting thrown out of every public place I walk into!"

"Well you must because you're not doing anything about it!"

Remus glared at me with flared nostrils. Suddenly, He turned and started walking back down the street to the house.

_**Sorry to end with arguing. Things will get happy again eventually, I promise. I just had to include some bumps in the road to keep it interesting :P Send me a review with your thoughts!**_


	17. Chapter 17: Redeeming Qualities

REDEEMING QUALITIES

_**Hello again! Big thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! Here's another chapter! Enjoy, and don't forget to Review (it would really make my week if we could get to 50 with this chapter :) )**_

_**Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling's. This is just idea popped into my head and wouldn't stop nagging me until I wrote it down.**_

_Sirius_

I sat on the couch, one of Moony's terribly boring books clutched in my hands. I kept flipping mindlessly through the pages, hoping that I would stumble across a picture. Reading never was one of my stronger subjects. I could never maintain focus on a single page for longer than about thirty seconds. It's not that I couldn't read. It's just that normally, books were so boring, and there were so many more interesting things I could be doing.

Unfortunately, right now, I wouldn't say that there were many other options. I couldn't leave the house (that was definitely a bad idea), and I had to stay quiet (also not one of my better talents). Moony was one of my best friends, but his house sure could get boring sometimes.

My stomach growled, but I tried to ignore it. Hopefully Moony and Tonks would be along soon with something decent to eat. I sighed and flipped another page.

Suddenly, the door was thrust open, and a very infuriated Remus stomped through, Tonks trailing right behind him and looking equally angry. Remus stormed into the house, dropped his bag of groceries on the coffee table, and went off into his room without a word. He slammed the bedroom door behind him. Tonks shot a furious look at the now closed door and threw her bag of groceries down onto the floor, causing eggs to crack all over the polished wood. She groaned angrily and paced back and forth, grasping fistfuls of her violent scarlet hair.

"He is the most _difficult, stubborn_—" she seethed, stepping over the cracked eggshells to avoid slipping.

"I take it you two had a disagreement," I reasoned, my eyebrow raised.

"I don't see how he can just let people do that to him," she continued fuming. "I mean it's just not fair! But he never even—" she cut off with a frustrated groan as she threw herself into one of the armchairs.

"What did dear Moony do this time?"

"Why don't you go ask him?" she snapped. "It's his problem. I don't even know why I bothered helping him." She folded her arms across her chest and slumped back into the chair with a furious sigh.

I got up and headed into Moony's room. I may not have been the smartest wizard at Hogwarts, but I knew better than to mess with my little cousin when she was in a mood.

When I opened the door to Remus' room, I found him sitting on the edge of his bed with his forehead in his hands. I could see that his face was turning pink. That's when I knew that he was angry.

It took a lot to get Moony angry. He was usually really calm about everything, but you could always tell that something had him riled when his face started turning pink. It didn't happen often, but when it did, everyone knew better than to get too close to him.

"Everything okay, Moony?" I asked hesitantly while I closed the door behind me.

"Why does she have to do that?" he asked, turning in my direction.

"Who?"

"Tonks," he uttered as though it was a dirty word. "Why does she have to get involved in everyone's business? It's not like I asked her to tell that guy off!" He rose from the bed and started pacing around the room just as Tonks had.

"What d'you-?"

"She really needs to learn when to hold her tongue. I mean, there were so many people in there, and they didn't need to know what was going on!"

"Moony, why don't you—"

"And that's not even the worst of it. She actually blames me for—"

I moved forward and put my hand on his shoulder to stop his rant. "I want to be on your side, I really do," I told him, "but I have to actually know what happened so I can do that." He nodded.

"Sorry," he apologized. He took a deep breath to calm himself before starting again, "The owner of the supermarket told me I had to leave because people got nervous having someone like me there. Tonks got mad at him for being prejudiced and started yelling. Then she got mad at me for not saying anything, and I got mad at her for overreacting. It's not my fault though!" he defended. "I never told her I needed her help with people like that!"

"It sounds a lot like she was trying to help," I deduced.

"But I never told her I needed her help!" he argued.

"Well you never had a problem with us telling people to stuff it if they had a problem with you."

"That was different," he protested. "You didn't do it so publicly."

I laughed, "Yeah, we were real secretive," I allowed sarcastically. "We just left them with a prank no one would ever forget." Moony laughed along with me before we fell into silence. "Look, I wouldn't be so hard on her, mate," I advised. "It sounds like she was trying to help you out." When he said nothing, I continued, "She likes you, I think."

"Yeah, she's a good friend," he said with a slight smile.

I rolled my eyes. "You can't really be that oblivious." He eyed me curiously. "C'mon, don't tell me you haven't noticed the stares and the giggling."

"Tonks?" Remus questioned in disbelief. "Nah, I think she's much more likely to fall for you than she for me. I would be nearly double her age where she comes from, and someone like me—"

"Sure you can be a real prat sometimes, but don't cut yourself short. You have many redeeming qualities, my dear Moony," I jibed.

"Well, thank you, charming Padfoot," he returned. "I'll be sure to remember that the next time I'm feeling down on myself. 'Sure I'm being a prat, but according to a convicted mass-murderer, I have many redeeming qualities.'" he joked.

We both laughed. "I should probably go apologize," Remus said when we had gone silent.

"See, there's the gentlemanly Moony we all love," I chuckled. Remus laughed and headed for the door. "I'd be careful in there if I were you," I warned as he opened the door. "She's pretty mad, and she can be deadly when she's like that." Remus rolled his eyes and headed into the sitting room to face his fate.

_**Awww, Moony and Padfoot having a bro moment :) Hope you all liked this! Sorry if it was a little short. I'll try to make the next one longer.**_

_**Just as a heads up, I think that it'll be a while before my next update. I've been pretty busy, and classes start again soon. I'll hopefully be able to update within the next few weeks. **_

_**Anyways, hope you liked this! Don't forget to Review! It makes me happy :)**_


	18. Chapter 18: Falling

FALLING

_**Here's another chapter! I want to give a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! 52 REVIEWS! That's more than I thought any of my stories would ever get! Thank you all soooo much!**_

_**Quick note: This starts off when Sirius goes into Remus' room to talk.**_

_**I do not own Harry Potter or anything else you recognize**_

_Tonks_

I sat huffing in one of the armchairs. Sirius had just left to go to Remus' room, but I was still fuming. Why couldn't Remus just grow a backbone and stand up for himself? He needed to let people know that he was a good person. He wasn't dangerous, or evil, or any different from anyone else for that matter. He had a furry little problem that presented itself once a month. That didn't make him a bad person.

I groaned and leaned back in the chair. Remus never could see that he was a good person. I swear that man would give his life to save someone else, but he would never admit that he was a good person, and every time I would try to tell him that very thing, we would end up arguing.

I sighed. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. I knew that, despite Remus' stubbornness, I was starting to fall for him. I was falling for the slightly mussed hair and the baby blue eyes. I was falling for the comfort and the sense of security. I was falling for the humility and the kindness. I knew that I was beginning to fall all over again, and when I did, it was going to be a full on tumble.

What if this argument was only the beginning? The last time I fell for him, we fought nearly every day up until we stopped speaking. I didn't know if either of us would be able to stand going through that, and I, for one, certainly didn't want to experience it all for the second time. And what was worse, what if we didn't argue? What if I kept falling like a teenager with a crush, only to go back to a time where he didn't exist? I had already gone through the pain of losing him once, and I was by no means ready to do it again.

Maybe it would be better to end it now, to stop everything before it began. I could leave and solve everyone's problems. Remus had it hard enough without me here to mess things up more than they already were. If I left, he would be able to resume at least a semi-normal life, and I wouldn't have to relive the pain of falling for and losing him again.

I would have to leave as soon as possible, before too much was changed. Remus was already mad at me, so it wouldn't look too suspicious if I left. I could Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and stay there temporarily until I was ready to leave. I had come with a little bit of money, so I would be able to pay for a room. Also, I knew now that potions could help me get back. I could research different potion books to see if I could find something useful. I would stay up in the room until I found what I was looking for. There was no way I would change things if I didn't meet anyone else. It seemed like the perfect plan. Sirius and Remus would be kept safe, and I would be far enough away that I wouldn't change anything, and I could put a stop to this dreaded schoolgirl crush. I would be able to leave this time pain free and (almost) change free, and that's exactly the way it should be. I had my mind made up.

Just then, Remus entered the sitting room from the hallway, and I rose from the chair. "I have something to tell you," he began, making his way over to me hesitantly.

"I have something to tell you first," I insisted. I held a hard gaze on him, determined not to let my mind be changed. He nodded. "I think it's time that I left," I told him. "Things are getting crazy here, and I think it would be best if I leave now."

Remus was shaking his head furiously. "No," he said quickly, "you can't. If this is about what happened at the supermarket, it's not your fault! I was stupid for getting as mad as I did. You were just trying to help, and I'm sorry that I didn't see that before. Don't go because of that," he pleaded.

"It's not just because of that," I explained. "I've changed more than you could possibly know by being here. Things aren't supposed to be this way. I can't do it anymore! If I stay here any longer, things could get about ten times worse than they are now! I have to get somewhere people won't find me, somewhere safe."

"We can take you somewhere else," Remus offered. "Sirius and I can go with you further away, so no one will recognize you and you won't change anything." Though I knew that he was trying to keep his voice steady, there was no denying the pleading in Remus' face. I felt my resolve begin to falter, but I shook it off. No matter how hard this was, I had to do it. I was convinced that it was for the best.

"No," I said a little more sternly than I had intended, "you can't do that. Do you have any idea what that would change?"

"But what if we didn't care?" Remus argued desperately. "What if we would agree to accept the consequences? You can't do this on your own." He took a frantic pause before starting again. "You can't go! You're the only one besides Sirius who isn't afraid of me, who actually accepts me! Things wouldn't be the same without you here to trip over all the furniture," he finished with a joke he hoped would make me laugh. It did the opposite.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I forced them back. I had to look strong for what I was going to say next. I couldn't let him see my weakness. "Don't you understand?" I nearly yelled as more tears formed in my eyes. "I don't _want_ you with me! You can't do anything to help me! How could someone like you ever help me? You're a monster!" I knew then that I had delivered the final blow, and I wanted so badly to collapse on the floor and sob when I saw the pain in Remus' face. I had hurt him, and I hated myself for it.

I could see tears forming in his bright blue eyes. He looked so betrayed, so innocent, that I nearly abandoned my entire scheme.

"Please don't go," he begged in barely a whisper, taking one of my hands in both of his. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, and I turned away so he wouldn't see. I wrenched my hand away in what I hoped was a forceful manner, though I wanted nothing more than to make his pain disappear. With that, I Apparated, not caring where I ended up. All I could think about was the hurt in the man's eyes as I turned away from him.

_**Ok, I know that was really sad (maybe I'm in a sad mood because classes start in a week), but I PROMISE there will be a happy ending! Send me a Review with your thoughts!**_


	19. Chapter 19: Settling In

SETTLING IN

_**Hello again lovely readers! Here's another chapter. Thank you to everyone that has read and reviewed! You all are amazing.**_

_**I have never been to the UK or any other places where Harry Potter takes place, so I think we can assume that I don't own the series :P**_

I knew that I was outside, but before my mind could fully register my exact location, I had sunken to the ground and pulled my knees to my chest. I let the tears flow down my cheeks, and I sobbed loudly. I realized that a probably looked completely pathetic crouched in a fetal position with my face swollen and red from crying, but I didn't care. I couldn't get the burning image of his betrayed blue eyes out of my head. I couldn't believe that I could do something like that to him. I had told myself that I would never make him look like that, but _I_ had put that pain in his face. _I _had put the betrayal in his eyes, and I hated myself for it.

I closed my eyes and leaned back. My head hit something hard, and I opened my eyes to take in my surroundings. I was in an alley. A large green dumpster covered in flies and slime sat to my left about ten feet away. Two large, brick apartment buildings were on either side of the alley, one directly behind me, and another about six feet in front of me. I looked to my right and saw that a small neighborhood was at the end of the alleyway. I stood up and peered outside.

Though it was rather late, I saw several families sitting out on the front steps of the buildings. Some children sat in their mothers' laps, but others were playing with each other in the streets. I supposed that they were Muggle children, for no Wizarding family in their right mind would sit outside at night under the circumstances.

I changed my appearance before going out into the street. I made my eyes less puffy and my face less red. I grew my hair so it was just past my shoulders and changed it from bright pink to a mellow brown. I made myself shorter and my skin slightly paler so that no one would recognize me, and I walked out into the neighborhood.

As I made my way down the street, I began to have the faintest feeling of déjà vu. The brick buildings looked familiar; the alley had looked familiar; even the families in the streets looked familiar. I shook it off, but it wasn't until I noticed a lightly shimmering gate that I was forced to stop in my tracks.

A large park covered the other side of the street. Small shrubs lined the cobblestone path that led to all different areas throughout the field. Large lamps lit the way so that the couples walking wouldn't be left in pitch darkness. Benches were stationed at intervals on either side of the pathway to relieve the guests' feet, and a huge black gate guarded the entrance and light glimmered in the moonlight.

I tore my eyes away before I let the memory of that place change my mind. This was for the best, I told myself as I refocused on the sidewalk.

I lost track of how long I had been walking, but it couldn't have been longer than a mile, for I soon entered what I supposed was the main street of the town. Small shops lined either side of the street, and despite the late hour, many people were still bustling around busily.

I felt a chill run down my spine. It was one of the coldest nights since I had arrived in this time, and my breath came out in light puffs. I pulled my robes tighter around myself and continued walking until I came across a coffee shop.

A bright neon open sign was placed carefully in the front window, and I could see many people sitting at small tables inside. I pulled the door open, and jingling bells announced my entry. The inside was such a relief from the frigid outside. The walls were almost completely brick; the only break was a large chalkboard behind the counter that told today's specials. A pastry display was directly beneath the counter, and the place was nearly packed to its capacity with people. It was a cozy place, and a warmth coursed through my body as I approached the counter. I fumbled through my pockets, searching for my emergency Muggle money. Once I'd assured myself that I had some money with me, I moved to the cash register and ordered a hot chocolate.

"For here or to go?" the cashier asked. I debated the question for a moment before glancing the time at the clock on the back wall. It was getting very late. I should find a place to stay soon, lest some Ministry officials catch me out late, and, while I still had more than two hours before curfew, I still didn't know where exactly I was. I decided that it was best to take my beverage with me on my search.

I exited the coffee shop, hot chocolate in hand, and restarted my trek down the road. Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, making me all the more eager to find the Leaky Cauldron before the snow became too heavy.

I considered Apparating there, but the walk did me good. It helped calm me more.

After a little over an hour of walking, I had entered London. Hoards of people were racing back and forth on the street, eager to get to their destinations. I saw tourists gazing up at the tall buildings and the many sites. I saw men and women rushing around after a very late night at work. I even saw a few well disguised wizards in the crowd.

I pushed myself through the throngs of people, tripping over myself four times before reaching the alleyway that led to the Leaky Cauldron. I headed down the narrow passage and easily found the pub. I swung the door open and headed quietly inside.

Unlike the coffee shop I had entered nearly an hour earlier, the Leaky Cauldron was practically empty; the only person inside was a young-looking Tom asleep at the bar. His head was resting on the bar surface, and his mouth was agape, letting some drool escape. I headed over to him and cleared my throat loudly. He jolted awake and looked around the room, shocked that someone had come in so late. His eyes finally met mine, and he looked at me expectantly.

"I'd like a room," I told him.

"How long?" Tom asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"I'll be leaving Friday." I only had enough money for six days. I was going to have to find other arrangements, and fast.

Tom sighed and took out huge, tattered guestbook and a quill. "Name?" he demanded impatiently.

"Henrietta Madson," I lied. Tom scrawled the name on an empty line and handed me a set of keys.

"Room 14. Upstairs, third door on the left," Tom instructed. I thanked him and took the keys before heading up the stairs.

I easily found the door with a tarnished "14" on the front and put the key in the lock.

I swung the door open and went inside. The room was tiny, but not cramped. A small bed was on the left wall, and a dresser was placed across from it. There was a large window on the back wall overlooking the London streets. Beside the dresser, a closed door led to a small bathroom. I peered inside and saw that freshly cleaned towels were folded on one of the bathroom shelves, and a tiny shower sat at the back wall. It wasn't a five-star room, but it was a place to stay for a few days and try to recollect my thoughts.

I back into the room and collapsed on the bed, exhausted. I was convinced this was the right choice. Sirius and Remus would be safe now without me to mess things up. I wouldn't change anything now that I was here. And, Remus and I would be far apart, so I wouldn't have to lose him all over again. This was best for everyone. And with that thought, I drifted off to sleep.

_**I don't really know if Tonks would have been able to walk to London (I've never been there), but I liked the tiny town scene, so she can for the purposes of this story :P And for those of you who didn't understand the park thing, it's meant to be the same park that Tonks and Remus visited earlier in the story. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter. Don't forget to Review!**_


	20. Chapter 20: Last Resort

LAST RESORT

_**Hello again! Here's another chapter. I know, I'm horrible for making you wait so long. I nearly forgot how crazy classes can be. I'll try to update a little more frequently once I get used to the new schedule. Thanks to everyone who has Reviewed! You make me so happy :)**_

_**You know the drill :P**_

I awoke the next morning with my right cheek resting flat against the mattress. My arms and legs were sprawled out across the bed, like a starfish clinging to a rock. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and rubbed a sore spot on my neck. I sighed when I noticed that I had fallen asleep dressed in my street robes, complete with combat boots, and suddenly, I began to miss the comfort of Remus' old shirt.

_No_, I told myself, shaking my head, _you can't start thinking like that. It's only going to make it harder. _

I got up from the bed, thinking that a nice warm shower would help clear my head. I strode into the bathroom and quickly undressed. I stepped into the shower, turned the water on, and cursed under my breath when I felt the freezing stream of water fall down my back. I clenched my teeth together, shivering, and turned the water off. I felt the goose bumps beginning to rise on my skin as I stepped out of the shower and cast a drying spell with my wand.

Once I was dry, I dressed and headed down the stairs in search of something to eat for breakfast. Downstairs, people were already bustling around the bar passing food across the tables. Nearly every chair was full, and a hum of voices filled the air. I had never seen the Leaky Cauldron this crowded. I glanced around the room for several seconds before spotting Tom behind the bar hidden by a crowd of people. I contemplated telling him about my shower issues before deciding against it. By the looks of things, the poor hunchback had enough on his mind at the moment.

I headed into the crowded room, searching for a place to sit and have breakfast. People were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at the long tables that lined the room. I tried to push my way through to get to one of the plates that was piled high with buttered toast, but every time I came close to touching a piece of bread, the plate floated away or someone shoved me out of the way with a grunt. Seeing as getting to the tables for breakfast wasn't a viable option, I settled on grabbing an apple from the bowl of fruit as I left the pub.

Once outside, I walked up and down the alleyways that lined the streets of London in search of Wizarding book stores. I stopped in front of Bermish's Books for the Witchy and Wizardly and headed inside.

The book shop was covered in books. I didn't know how it was possible to fit so many books in so tiny a place. There were piles upon piles of books of any imaginable subject, and some unsteady stacks went nearly as high as the ceiling. I took a step further into the store and found myself falling over the many volumes that littered the floor. I began to feel very claustrophobic. How was I going to find Potion books in this mess? Just as that thought entered my head, I felt my toe catch on a loose book spine, and I came toppling to the floor, taking a rather large stack of books with me. Everything came crashing down in a series of rumbles, and I heard someone coming into the shop from the back room.

I rushed to get up and began picking up some of the books that had fallen, eager to hide my mess. Suddenly, a man that was only maybe half my height came toddling into the room. "What happened here?" he asked in a squeaky voice. Graying patches of hair covered his head, and his thin mustache wiggled back and forth as he spoke.

I looked to him, my arms carrying as many books as I could manage. "Sorry," I apologized, "I tripped, and the books fell down."

He waved me off, " 'S no problem. The way Bermish has got this place organized, I doubt anyone but him would notice if some books fell," he explained with a light chuckle and a good-natured roll of the eyes. "My name's Vern. Is there something I can help you with?" he asked, taking some of the books from me.

"Yeah," I told him, "I'm looking for books on Potions. Would you happen to know where they are?" He led me over to one of the few bookshelves and began putting the fallen books neatly inside.

"Why do you need them?" Vern inquired suspiciously.

"I'm studying to become a Healer, and my mentor, Healer Canterburg, told me I needed to brush up on some Potions," I lied coolly.

Vern appeared not to have noticed the faults in my story and shrugged, "Well, I'm afraid you won't find much here," he said with a whistle. "Bermish got rid of all those books when the Ministry passed those new laws. He was so worried that the Ministry would outlaw more books, that he threw out anything he thought was 'questionable'. Lost him a lot of money, it did," Vern explained. "I would doubt that there's a shop in all of Britain that still has books like that, ma'am."

I felt my heart sink as I handed him the remainder of the fallen books. "Well, thanks anyway," I told him half-heartedly.

"Good luck with your training," he called back as I exited the shop.

I went to several other book stores that day, but I was met with much the same response as I had gotten in Bermish's. People were too afraid of the Ministry to risk selling books that might get them in trouble. I didn't blame them, but that didn't change the fact that I needed _something_ to help me get back.

After leaving what must have been the fifteenth shop, I headed back to the Leaky Cauldron discouraged. I was going to have to face the facts; no one was going to risk Azkaban to sell books the Ministry might deem as unlawful and dangerous. I had to find another way besides books to get back to 1997.

But what else was there? Books were a no-go, asking Dumbledore would just lead to more questions about Remus, questions I was _not_ ready to answer, I couldn't ask Remus or Sirius for help, and I couldn't risk telling anyone else about my situation.

I sighed. I had one other option, and though I hated to admit it, I knew that it was probably my only chance of getting back. I was going to have to go to the one person that knew what I needed, the one person that wouldn't be afraid of getting caught by the Ministry. I was going to have to go to Severus Snape.

_**Dun dun duuunn! I know that that last chapter was a short one. I planned on making it a lot longer, but I haven't had much time to write lately, and I wanted to get something up before you all started hating me for making you wait so long.**_

_**I'll try to make the next chapters longer! I have a long weekend coming up in a few weeks, so I'll try to post a chapter or two then.**_

_**Hope you liked this! Don't forget to Review!**_


	21. Chapter 21: Sneaking Out

SNEAKING OUT

_**Here's another chapter for you all! Thanks for all the lovely Reviews :) You make me so happy!**_

_**Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling's. **_

The door to the Leaky Cauldron swung open with a light squeak of the hinges, and I slumped inside. No matter how much I hated to admit it, I had no other choice; I was going to have to talk to Snape, and I was going to have to do it within the next couple of hours.

The pub wasn't as crowded as it was this morning, something I was very grateful for. There were a few people sitting at the bar and some groups of people in a couple booths, but it was nowhere close to the madhouse it was this morning. I was able to easily navigate my way around the few stray tables and chairs to Tom, who was wiping off a back table as a group cleared out.

"Tom?" I called once I reached him. He grunted in acknowledgment but didn't look up from his work. I took it as a sign to continue on, "Do you have any Floo Powder? I have to stop in at my Mum's for a minute to grab something."

Tom finished cleaning the table and stood up straight, wiping sweat from his brow. "Sure, but that'll be ten Galleons and three Knuts," he replied.

I nearly toppled backwards. "Ten Galleons?! For a pinch of dust?"

"Well," Tom began to explain, "that will cover the expenses for renting the room. We don't want anyone sneaking off with the Floo Powder without paying, not would we?"

"But I've only been here for one night!" I countered.

"It will also take care of the cost of fixing the shower you broke," he told me.

"_I _broke?" I defended. "It was like that when I got here! You're lucky I didn't get hypothermia from using it this morning!"

Tom grumbled, "It will also pay the fee of keeping pets in the room."

"What pets?" I asked, dumbfounded. "I don't have any pets."

"Well then perhaps you can explain why there is a dog up in your room that refuses to leave."

I could feel my brow furrow. "What dog?"

"Look," Tom said impatiently, "all I know is that a dog walked up to your room this morning and hasn't left. You can pay the ten Galleons and three Knuts for your Floo Powder, or you can just walk back upstairs to your room with nothing."

I contemplated drawing my wand and hexing the hunchback right in the middle of the pub, but I shoved my frustration to the side. I needed the Floo Powder. That was my only way of getting to Hogwarts. So, I begrudgingly handed over the required sum, which was the money I had planned on using to pay for the last four days of my stay here. Tom took the coins from me and went into the back room. He returned with a small cup of a gray powder.

"Here you go," he said, handing the cup to me. "It's all yours."

I mumbled a thank you and took the Floo Powder from him. I hurried up the stairs to my room, determined to find out what Tom had meant about a dog in my room. I unlocked the door with a click and pushed the door open.

To my surprise, the room looked untouched. The bed was neatly made, the curtains were pulled open to let in the light, and the room looked freshly swept. The only thing that had changed since I had left was the small, torn piece of parchment that was resting on the bed.

I put the cup of Floo Powder on the bedside table and sat down on the bed to better examine the clipping. I felt my heart drop to the floor when I saw that it was a note. I would recognize the messy scrawl anywhere.

_Tonks,_

_Came to talk. Went back so Moony wouldn't get worried. Be back tonight to talk._

Though there was no signature save a large, black paw print, I instantly knew who had written the note. I groaned loudly out of frustration. I was going to _kill _Sirius. What was he thinking? Didn't he know that I didn't want him here, or did I not make myself clear enough? He was going to get himself killed!

I paced around the room angrily for several moments. Why couldn't Sirius just leave well enough alone? He was going to get thrown back in Azkaban if he kept this up!

I sighed deeply and sat on the bed, trying to calm myself down. Though I was sure that I was going to wring Sirius' neck the next time I saw him, I knew that I had more pressing matters to attend to. If I didn't talk to Snape soon, there was no telling when I would be able to get back home.

So, shoving my irritation with my cousin to the back of my mind, I picked up the Floo Powder from the bedside table and walked over to the fireplace. I threw a pinch of the dust onto the grate, yelling "Potions Office" as I did so. Once the emerald flames flew from the ashes, I stepped inside, feeling myself twist away.

-oOoOoO-

_Sirius_

I carefully pushed open the front door to Remus' house. I had been gone for a little over an hour, and I hoped that Moony hadn't noticed my absence. Of course, I forgot to account for the fact that Moony notices everything, so I really shouldn't have been surprised when he was waiting for me. He was sitting on the couch, his feet bouncing expectantly. The dark circles that had been plastered to his face since Tonks left seemed more prominent, and his forehead was wrinkled in worry. His head perked up upon hearing me enter. He stood up and started pacing around the room.

"Where have you been?" he asked as though I was a child that had stayed out passed curfew. "Do you realize that I've been looking for you all morning? What were you thinking? Someone could have recognized you!" he continued fussing. Although Remus would never admit it, there were striking similarities between him and his over-protective mother; for one they were both annoyingly worried when the smallest thing was missing or out of place. I knew that it wasn't exactly right not to tell him where I was going, but I had a mission, and I preferred that he not know about it yet.

"Will you calm down before you make yourself sick," I said casually, throwing myself onto one of the armchairs. "I just went out for some air. It gets so stuffy in here, I couldn't take it anymore." I had been trying to keep the mood light over the last couple of days. I knew that Remus was trying to look like Tonks' leaving hadn't phased him, but I could tell that he was hurting on the inside. She'd done something to him that I didn't think anyone could do, and he was missing that now.

Remus shook his head and sighed, "You can't do that, Sirius. Someone could catch you," he finished a little more calmly.

"Relax," I told him. "No one saw me." He gave me a doubtful look. "Okay," I gave in, raising my hands in surrender, "I'll be more careful."

"Good," he said, satisfied. We sat in silence for a few moments before Remus told me he was going to his room and to tell him if I needed anything.

Moony had been spending a lot more time in his room lately. I had no idea what he did in there all day, but he was becoming more solitary. Our conversations hadn't been as easy and flowing; they were awkward and choppy. When he laughed at a joke I'd made, it was forced and unconvincing.

I wasn't used to this. I was worried for him. I knew that he would be taking things hard after what had happened at the end of October, but now, he was trying to prevent himself from falling over the edge. Remus held everything in until he was about to explode, and I could tell that the combination of James' and Lily's deaths, the Ministry's tightening control, and Tonks' running away was going to be too much for him. There were only two things that could change what he was feeling. One: the Ministry could repeal its new laws; or two; Tonks could come back. Seeing as the former was not likely, that left one option.

I was going to help my friend. I didn't care what happened to me, but Remus needed someone to pull him out of this hole.

…

Before long, the sun started to set in the sky, causing a dim orange light to shine through the fogged glass of the windows. Remus had stayed in his room for the remainder of the day, and I wasn't expecting him to come out any time soon.

The clock on the side table said that it was seven o'clock. I settled on waiting another five minutes before leaving. I watched the hands of the clock intently as they continued their path around the clock face with light ticks. Five minutes passed, and still Remus had not emerged. I decided that it was safe enough to sneak out for a while. I opened the front door as quietly and carefully as I could, tiptoed outside, and shut the door lightly. I then kneeled onto the ground on all fours and felt my back begin to curve. Black fur sprouted from my face and arms. My nose grew longer and into a snout. A tail began to sprout behind me, and my tongue hung out of my mouth in a pant. I took a step down the street and felt the familiar sensation of concrete against my padded feet. A sudden rejuvenation flowed through me and I broke out into a trot that turned into a run. I sprinted down the road and started my trek to London.

_**I hope you liked the newest chapter! Sorry for ending it with a little bit of a cliffhanger. Don't worry, we'll see what happens with Snape, Tonks, and Sirius in the next chapter. Let me know what you guys thought in a Review!**_


	22. Chapter 22: Truths

TRUTHS

_**Hello again! Sorry for about that last chapter being a little short and then ending with a bit of a cliffhanger. I wanted to set the scene for this chapter. I hope you like it (I've been planning it for a while so I hope it's good!) Don't forget to Review, please!**_

_**I watched the Harry Potter premiers from T.V. and the news, not from the red carpet (or whatever they were on), so I think we can bet that I do not own the series.**_

_Tonks_

The Potions Office materialized before me as I took a step further into the room. Shelves of different sized bottles filled with potions of a variety of colors covered the back wall. A black wooden desk with thick, blocky legs sat in the center of the room with ungraded essays sprawled all around the surface. Lanterns dimly lit the small room, and I could hear the distinct sound of footsteps making their way down the hall toward the office. I cringed as the large door swung open.

A much younger version of Severus Snape skulked into the room, his black cloak billowing behind him. His hair was still long and greasy, but his face looked different. There weren't the same lines etched across his forehead. His black eyes weren't as piercing. They had a certain amount of sadness in them as he gazed at me.

"What do you think you're doing here?" he asked haughtily with a deep voice. I stood there, not all too sure of what to say. "Who are you?" Snape demanded again. I took a deep breath.

"My name is Tonks," I explained. "I work for the Ministry." It was with a certain amount of satisfaction that I watched him shrink back at that statement.

"Why are you here?" he asked quietly, his eyes shifting back and forth.

I clenched my teeth together as I spoke the words, "I need your help". He gave me a perplexed look, allowing for me to explain. "I'm not supposed to be in this time," I told him. His brow furrowed, and I sighed. I had gone through this story way too many times over the last few weeks. "I had a little accident with some Time-Turners that brought me here. I've been here for nearly a month now, and I need to get back. I was told that you knew of some potions that could help me," I finished.

"Yeah," Snape started, "I know of a few."

"Will you tell me about them?" I said through clenched teeth. It was hard enough for me to ask for help from this traitor, but to have to ask him for every little thing like a child was beyond degrading.

"I could, but the Ministry is getting really strict about this sort of thing now. How do I know you're not here to get me arrested?"

I could feel the heat rising up in my face. "Why would I come all this way if I didn't need your help? I need something to get me back to 1997. If you don't want to help me, fine; but at least tell me the names of the potions so I have something to go on," I finished angrily.

"Fine," he huffed. He hurried to his desk and shuffled through one of the drawers before pulling out a huge book. It was the biggest, and oldest, book I'd ever seen in my life. The thing had to be over a foot thick! Snape threw it on the desk surface with a thud. He then flipped to a page in the center and scrolled across it with his finger.

"I think what you need is the Thornsby Time Potion," he reasoned.

I felt my head perk up. "Fantastic," I enthused, "how do you make it?" I made my way over to the desk to get a better view of the page, but Snape slammed the book shut. "Hey!" I whined.

"What do you expect to give me in return for helping you?"

_How about I promise not to jinx you into the next century?_ I thought maliciously. I quickly shoved that thought out of my head. I had to get Snape on my side somehow. But what could I give him? I had almost no money left, so I couldn't pay him. I contemplated blackmailing him using his status as a Death Eater for leverage, but that would have changed the future in ways I could never imagine. Finally, something came to me.

"I can give you protection," I explained. He looked at me in disbelief. "I'm an Auror in my time. I know you have some less-than-friendly relationships right now, but I would be able to help you. I'm trained to deal with people like that." He looked at me for a moment, his right brow raised slightly higher than his left, before nodding.

-oOoOoO-

I slumped out of the fireplace and back into my room at the Leaky Cauldron. I had spent the last several hours in Snape's office, and I was sure that nearly an entire day with Snape was causing me to go mad. Not only did I hate the man, but I was forced into asking him for help and now to protect him. And, much to my dismay, I was going to have to spend the next two months with him.

Tillsby, or Thornworth, or whatever the potion's name was, was going to take nearly a month and a half to make, and that was after we'd found all the ingredients (which Snape made clear would be very, very, _very_ hard to do…oh joy).

I stepped into the room, rubbing my eyes in exhaustion. It was starting to get late, and I was more than ready to curl up in bed and go to sleep. But, of course, that would have to wait.

A large black dog was sitting in the corner still as a statue. His gray eyes narrowed when he saw me move into the room, and he got up and headed for me. I turned toward him only to see the tall figure of Sirius Black standing in the center of the room.

"Did you get my message?" he asked quickly. I nodded, not making eye-contact. I turned away, hoping that ignoring him would make him leave. "I wanted to talk," he reminded me calmly. I nodded again. "How have you been?" I didn't answer. "Have you had any luck finding something to get you back?" he asked conversationally. I said nothing. "We've missed you." Still, I didn't respond. "Well say something!" he begged.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked, turning to make eye contact.

"Well, you can start with why you left," he ordered.

I laughed sarcastically, "Did I not make myself clear before?" I tried to maintain a strong voice so he would believe me. "I couldn't take it anymore there. I needed to do this on my own. You two weren't helping me, and I had to get back soon."

"I don't believe that," Sirius returned. "I don't think you couldn't stand us anymore. You were fine just a few days ago, and then you just took off. Things couldn't have changed that fast."

"Are you saying I'm lying?" I defended.

"I'm saying that there's something that you're not telling me," he retorted.

I turned my back to him. I wasn't ready to talk about this. "Why did you leave?" Sirius asked again.

"I told you. It just wasn't working out," the slight crack in my voice was as good as admitting that there was something else.

"Why did you really leave?" I didn't answer. Sirius sighed. "Moony misses you," he told me in an attempt to get some kind of reaction out of me. "He won't admit it, but I know he does. You meant a lot to him." Why did he have to bring this up? Of all things, why this? "Did you two not get along in your time?" Sirius asked. I shook my head. "Well then what happened?"

"I just couldn't be around him anymore," I confessed.

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't good for him."

"What do you mean by that?" Sirius laughed. "He was falling head-over-heels for you."

"That's the problem," I started. "It just wouldn't work out."

"Why?" he asked again.

"We just don't work together," I explained.

"You two seemed to be getting along pretty well over the last couple of days," Sirius noted. "I mean Moony was actually laughing and smiling. I never thought I would see that once I heard what happened to James."

"It seemed like that in my time too," I told him. "We were friends until we started getting closer. Then we just argued until we stopped speaking to each other all together."

"So now you're running away from him?"

"No," I demanded, "I'm just doing what's best."

"How do you know what's best?" Sirius questioned angrily. "Have you talked to Remus about this?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it just wouldn't work." My tone of voice was gradually getting more forceful.

"Why?"Sirius insisted once again.

"It just wouldn't," I nearly shouted.

"Why?" Sirius yelled back.

"Because—"

"Why?"

"Because he's dead, alright!"

It had slipped from my mouth before I could stop it, and I immediately regretted my lapse. Sirius looked as though he was about to faint. His skin had paled so much that it was nearly green. His eyes had widened to the size of saucers, and he became stiff. "What?" he asked so quietly that I could barely hear it.

I could feel the tears welling in my eyes as I answered him, "In my time," I began, breathing heavily, "Remus was killed a few weeks before I came here."

Sirius stepped over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He covered his face with his hands, and I knew that tears were starting to fall down his face.

He looked up to face me when he felt me sit next to him. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" His eyes were red and splotchy, and his voice was betrayed.

"Dumbledore made me promise not to tell anyone," I explained defensively.

"So you haven't told Remus either?" I shook my head. "Why not?" he asked. "There could be something we could do to stop it from happening!"

"We don't know what else that would change."

"I don't believe this," Sirius moaned, rising from the bed and pacing around the room. "You care about him, I know you do, and you're just going to let him die? How can you do that? And you call yourself a friend to him!"

"Sirius, I can't change the past," I pleaded. "It could be bad for everyone."

"He needs to know!" Sirius said, heading for the door.

"No!" I yelled, causing him to stop. "You have to promise me that you won't tell _anyone_."

"Tonks," Sirius begged, "Remus has a right to know about this."

"I know," I told him. "But Dumbledore knows what he's talking about. He must have had a plan when he told me not to say anything to Remus." Sirius still looked unsure. "Please don't tell him, not yet."

Sirius stepped back from the door. His eyes pierced mine, and his voice sounded disappointed as he spoke, "I won't tell him. That's your responsibility. Come back if you want, but I can't guarantee that you'll see much of me if you do." With that, he opened the door and transformed back into the large black dog. He headed out the door, leaving me alone in the room.

_**Didn't see that coming, did ya? Now Sirius knows the whole story, and Snape has come into the picture. How will this change things? We'll have to wait and see…**_

_**I hope you liked it! Don't forget to Review!**_


	23. Chapter 23: Times are Changing

TIMES ARE CHANGING

_**Hello again everyone! Here's another chapter! It's a long one, so sit back, relax, and enjoy!**_

_**Nope, still own nothing :)**_

_"Impedimenta!" Dolohov screeched. I was able to cast a Shield charm before the spell could hit me. _

_ "Stupefy!" I yelled back. The Death Eater moved out of the way of the jet of red light._

_ Just then, I heard a familiar voice call, "Tonks!" and a blast sounded to my left. A large Death Eater had been thrown off his feet and into the wall. I turned away from Dolohov so quickly I was sure I was going to get whiplash. Remus' blue eyes met mine from across the long hall._

_ "Remus?" I asked in disbelief. Suddenly, I felt myself being thrust onto the ground. Just before I lost all consciousness, I saw Remus disappear in a cloud of debris. A green flash dimly showed through the dirt. No!_

I sat bolt upright in bed, sweat plastering my hair to the side of my face. _It was just a dream…only a dream…it wasn't real_, I tried to tell myself, but no matter how many times I repeated the saying, I still couldn't catch my breath. It wasn't _just_ a dream; it didn't matter how many times I told myself that it was. Remus really was gone, or would be in sixteen years.

I kept thinking about what Sirius had said. Was it right to keep something like this from Remus? Dumbledore thought it was, and wasn't he always the one with a plan? What would be the consequences of telling Remus? Would it change more than I intended it to? All the options were making me dizzy. I held my forehead in my hands to try to stop the spinning in my head.

Once I was sure that my head was staying firmly on my shoulders, I glanced over to the side table at the small clock. I cursed when I saw that it was 9:30. I had agreed to meet Snape a half hour ago.

I was ready and stepping through the emerald green flames within about a minute. As I stepped out of the grate and into the office, I caught a glimpse of Snape hunched over a large cauldron. Green bubbles occasionally rose from its contents, and it smelled horribly of rotten eggs mixed with skunk. I scrunched my nose up and covered my face with my robes.

"You're late," Snape scolded without looking up from his work.

"Sorry, rough night," I apologized.

"I don't much care about your personal life, Miss Tonks," he began, standing upright and giving me an angry look. "What I do care about is that since I'm agreeing to help you, you hold up your end of the bargain by being her when you say you are!" As he finished, a light reddish tint came to his ears, and he went back to mixing the potion.

"Sorry," I repeated through clenched teeth, "I'll be better about it."

"You better or the deal's off." I sighed.

"What is that you're making, anyway?" I asked, moving over for a better look.

"The beginnings of your time potion," he explained, still stirring away.

I wrinkled my face up in disgust. "I'm going to have to drink _that_?"

"Well, if you want to get back to your time, yes," he responded. "This part takes about a month to brew, so while I'm making this, you can go and look for the other ingredients."

"What are the other ingredients?" Still concentrated on his work, Snape flicked his wand in the direction of his desk. One of the drawers slid open, and a piece of parchment flew out, landing in my hand. It was a long list of ingredients from Seed of the Sneezeweed (United Kingdom) to Vampire Bat Venom (Mexico). I couldn't deny that Snape had certainly done his homework. Every item on the list had a quantity needed and a country where it could be found.

"Some of those you can find in shops around London," he told me, "others you'll have to go farther to find."

"How am I supposed to find them?" I asked, frustrated. "I wouldn't call 'United Kingdom' or 'Mexico' exact locations."

Snape finally stopped stirring the potion and went over to a bookshelf. He pulled out a large leather-bound book and threw it at me, hitting me in the chest and causing me to grunt loudly.

"You'll find everything you need in there," he explained. "I suggest you start reading. You can go back home, and you can bring what you've found tomorrow, on time this time."

I grumbled angrily, heading back out the fireplace with the list and book when I suddenly remembered: today was the last day I could stay at the Leaky Cauldron. I had no more money. I groaned loudly.

"What?" Snape asked, turning to me.

"I can't stay at the same place anymore," I explained. "I can't pay for it."

"Didn't plan ahead, did you?" he examined haughtily. If looks could kill, then I'm certain Snape would have dropped dead from the glare I was giving him. "Alright, alright," he gave in, "I'll see if Dumbledore has any ideas."

He left the office, and I could hear his footsteps echo down the hall. About five minutes later, he reentered, Dumbledore following close at his heels.

"Professor Snape has just informed me of your predicament," Dumbledore began, "and I believe that I may be able to help you." I nodded. "Madame Rosmerta of the Three Broomsticks has told me that if any of our teachers ever needed a place to stay, they could stay at her inn for free. Now, I'm not suggesting that you become a teacher," he told me, ignoring a sarcastic "Yeah, that would end well" from Snape, "but I could see if she would allow you to stay there as a favor for me."

I nearly rushed up and kissed the old wizard on the cheek. That would solve all my problems! I beamed. "Thank you!" Dumbledore just smiled.

-oOoOoO-

The next day, I was moving into the Three Broomsticks. Dumbledore had made it very clear that he told Rosmerta that I was a new teacher, and I had to make the story as convincing as possible. So I wasn't all that surprised when on the first day I was there, she asked what I taught.

"A History of Hogwarts," I had told her, taking my book of potions ingredients upstairs to my room.

"Wouldn't that already be taught in History of Magic, though?" she questioned, following me.

"Well, it's more of an elective course," I responded lightly. "You would be surprised how much is hidden about the history of that school."

"Really? Like what?" she asked, fascinated.

"For instance, did you know that it wasn't really Rowena Ravenclaw that founded Ravenclaw house? It was really her distant relative, Aggie Ollerton, that started the school with the other three founders. She named the house after her favorite uncle, and Rowena took over after Ollerton died," I invented.

"I had no idea," Rosmerta gaped, wide-eyed. "You really will have to tell me more about your class sometime, Miss—"

"Quidmore," I answered, coming up with yet another alias.

"Yes, well I hope the room is to your liking," Rosmerta dismissed, heading back down the stairs. "Let me know if you need anything." I thanked her and opened the door to my room.

It was very much like my room in the Leaky Cauldron, only this one looked slightly less grubby and there was a small washbasin in the back corner of the room. I figured that I would be reasonably comfortable for the next few months that I would be staying there.

-oOoOoO-

I spent the next the next several days going all over London (and basically the globe) searching for ingredients for the potion. I was able to go to find Starfish Tentacles in a small shop on the outskirts of London, and I was able to sneak into a Wizarding Village to get a rare Tibetan Turnip.

I had found nearly half the items on the list, and Snape and I were still meeting daily to discuss any progress we would be able to make on the potion. A week passed, and the potion was still nowhere near being done. Snape assured me that at the rate I was finding the ingredients, the sixteen years I was trying to make up would have already passed. I desperately hoped that the potion would be ready before too long. I wasn't sure how much more of Snape's ego I could take.

One day, a little more than a week after I moved into the Three Broomsticks, I walked back to my room after a meeting with Snape. Travelling by Floo Powder tended to make me nauseous, so it was nice to be within walking distance of Hogwarts, but every meeting with Snape made me more and more exhausted, making the walks seem longer.

I walked through the door and collapsed on my bed. This meeting had been particularly infuriating. I considered myself a rather tolerant person, but Snape was starting to get on my last nerve. His latest offence was critiquing the Flemwig Root I'd brought in. Something about it being too dry. Now, I was going to have to go all the way back to the mountains of Japan to get another one, and I was _not_ looking forward to it. I began to contemplate how necessary Snape was to my whole plan and how much it would change the future if I hexed him off the face of the Earth. I covered my face with a pillow, trying to calm my frustration.

Just then, two firm knocks sounded at my door. Thinking that it was Rosmerta asking how my classes went, as she so often did, I strode over and opened the door, and I nearly gasped at what I saw. A tall man in a tattered travelling cloak was standing just outside my doorway. He looked as though he was about to topple over; his knees were beginning to buckle under his weight. Several scratches and cuts lined his already scarred face. His left eye was swollen and purple, and there was a large gash just above his eyebrow that oozed blood onto his face. His usually neat sandy brown hair was splayed in all directions. He looked so beaten, so worn, but there was no question in my mind of who this man was.

"I thought I'd find you here," Remus greeted with a smile that turned into a grimace.

"What happened?" I gasped, taking his arm and leading him into the room.

"Ministry officials came to search the house today," he answered, leaning heavily on me and limping a bit on his right leg.

"They did this to you?" I asked, horrified.

"Well, that was after they told me I was scum and not worth the air I breathed, and I told them they could stuff it if they had a problem with me?"

"You actually said that?" I questioned, unconvinced.

"There may have been a bit more unfriendly words thrown in there, but that was the gist of it," he laughed, but then cringed and held his ribs.

I sat him down on the bed and went across the room to the washbasin. I grabbed the rag and sat next to Remus on the bed. I carefully cleaned the cut above his left eyebrow.

"How did you find me?" I asked as I wiped away some of the blood.

"It wasn't all that hard. Sirius had said he thought you would be staying at the Leaky Cauldron, but I knew you wouldn't have enough money to stay there for more than a few days. The next logical place was here." He winced as I touched a particularly sensitive spot just over his eye.

"Sorry," I apologized, continuing to clean the wound as best I could. "Why did you come here?"

"I needed to see someone, and Sirius had been out since before the Ministry officials came. I thought that if I saw you, I might be able to convince you to come back," he explained.

"Remus," I began, going over to the washbasin to rinse the rag, "I told you, I can't go back."

"Why not?" he asked stubbornly. "Both Sirius and I have told you that we don't care what changes, and I don't believe that you couldn't stand us anymore. You wouldn't be helping me now if that were true."

"Just because I didn't want you to collapse on my doorstep doesn't mean I want to come back," I replied with an involuntary laugh.

"Why can't you?" he questioned as I went to healing his injuries with my wand.

"It's just better this way."

"Tonks," Remus began, putting a hand on my arm to stop my meticulous healing, "I care about you. I don't know why it took you leaving for me to see it, but I know that Sirius and I are going to drive each other mad if you don't come back soon," he added with a chuckle. "I'm not leaving without you."

"Remus I ca—" I never did get the chance to finish my sentence, for before I could get out another word, Remus put his lips to mine. I couldn't really describe the feeling. For a moment, it was like an electric current passed through me, pulling me closer to him. But then, an annoying voice popped into my head. _You said this wouldn't happen. You swore that this wouldn't happen_. I had to stiffen. I had been waiting for Remus to kiss me for longer than I cared to admit, but now, the one time it would happen, I was forced to fight it. I pulled away from him.

"I can't do this," I told him quietly, hoping that it sounded more convincing than it did in my head.

"What?" he breathed.

I rose from the bed and groaned in frustration. "If only you could know," I huffed. "If only I could tell you why—" I cut off, unable to find the right words.

Remus stood up and made his way over to me. "You can tell me," he assured calmly. I looked into his deep blue eyes. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him everything, to get it all off my chest, but I couldn't do it looking into those comforting eyes.

I groaned again and buried my face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. He stroked my hair softly, rhythmically; it reminded me of how my father would hold me when I'd had a particularly scary nightmare.

"I know something happens," he told me. I could hear his deep voice echoing in his chest. I straightened up and pulled away to look him in the eyes.

I sighed, "We just don't get along in my time," I allowed.

"Well things can change, can't they?" he responded lightheartedly.

"I don't know," I answered. "I'm not good for you, and sixteen years is a long time."

Remus laughed loudly, "Is that what you're worried about?" he asked, still laughing. "You're worried that I'm going to forget this?"

"I don't know," I repeated lamely, looking at the floor.

Remus tilted my chin up so I was forced to make eye contact. "I promise that no matter what happens, I will not forget this. I know that we both care about each other, and whether we're one year apart or sixteen, I know that nothing is going to change."

Tears started to form in my eyes. More was going to change than he knew. I was about to tell him that very thing, to tell him the whole story, but before I could say anything, he pulled me into a kiss filled with so much love, I couldn't help but kiss him back.

_**I know that last part might have been cheesy, but I needed a good way to end the chapter :P Let me know what you thought in a Review!**_


	24. Chapter 24: Role Reversal

ROLE REVERSAL

_***Peers around corner* Is it safe? I know I've been horrible about responding to reviews/posting new chapters lately. I've been super busy, and I wanted to make sure that I could follow up the last chapter with something good. That meant going through planning and a whole bunch of other stuff. I think I've got now through the end of the story roughly planned. I think there are going to be about 10 chapters left (give or take a couple chapters). I know it's sad, but this story must come to an end sometime :( Don't worry, though, I'm hoping to go out with a bang. Anyways, enough of my ramblings…onto the chapter!**_

_**I know that these have gotten a lot less creative lately, but I'm running out of ideas for disclaimers. If you have any suggestions, send me them in a Review! If I like it, I'll use it, and you will get full credit :) For now, though:**_

_**Harry Potter is not mine.**_

_Sirius_

I stepped through the door as quietly as I could manage. I knew that I had been out later than I should have, and that would make Moony worried. No doubt, he was waiting for me to come in, sitting on the couch, feet bouncing up and down as they always did when I snuck out.

I gingerly took a step into the living room, crouching forward slightly so that the creaky floorboards wouldn't squeak. To my surprise, there were no worried cries of "Where have you been?". I stood up to my full height and stepped completely into the room.

It was pitch black inside. I flipped on the Muggle light switch on the wall and was horrified at what I saw. Books were thrown all around the floor. Furniture had been toppled over. The couch cushions had been ripped open, and the stuffings littered the room. One of the lamps on the side table had been smashed to the floor, leaving millions of pieces of splintered wood on the ground.

"Moony?" I called hesitantly, stepping over the overturned coffee table. "Are you in here?" I made my way over to the kitchen and found an equally horrible scene. The cabinets had been emptied, and foods had smashed to the floor; I could barely see the floor beneath all the food.

"Moony?" I called again, starting to get worried. "Remus? Remus, where are you?" Still there was no answer. I searched the entire house for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere. The whole house was trashed, and I was beginning to get nervous. What could have happened? Did Death Eaters come and take Moony away with them? Did the Ministry officials come expecting to find me and haul him off to Azkaban instead? I could feel the sweat starting to form on my forehead, and I suddenly became dizzy. I should have been here. Tonks said that he had died. I should have been watching him every minute to make sure that nothing happened to him.

Just before my mind completely lost control, there was a clicking sound at the front door. I sprinted into the sitting room and grabbed the remains of the coffee table leg, ready to defend myself against the intruder. The door swung open and a tall man slumped into the room. It was Remus, but he looked odd. Physically, he looked horrible. His hair was so messy it looked like he'd been struck by lightning. His left eye was slightly swollen and bruised, and there was a nasty cut that had obviously been healed just above his eyebrow. He looked weak, like he was about to topple over.

Despite his rugged appearance, his mouth was turned up in half a smile, and he looked totally calm.

"Where have you been?" I nagged. "I walk into the house and find it's a wreck, and you're nowhere to be found." I realized that I sounded awfully like a worried mother, but I ignored it. I had been scared that I had lost my best friend, and he needed to know how worried I was.

"Sorry," Remus apologized, "but it wasn't like I knew when you were going to be back," he added flatly.

That made me cringe a bit. Remus always did know how to shut me up.

"The Ministry officials came today," he explained. "Don't worry they didn't find anything," he assured me upon seeing the shocked look that came to my face.

"Did they do that to you?" I asked, gesturing to the bruises on his face. Remus nodded. "Where did you go after that?"

Remus looked uncomfortable by the question and shifted awkwardly. "I went to my mother's," he answered lamely. "I knew she would have found out and gotten worried, and I didn't want her 'checking up on me' while you were here," he explained.

I was skeptical, but Remus seemed to have a legitimate excuse, so I didn't question it.

"Oh," I responded, "okay. I'm just glad to see you're alright."

"Thanks," Remus answered, moving to lift the couch from its sideways position on the floor and cringing.

I rushed to his side. "I can take care of this," I told him. "Leave me your wand so I can clean faster, and you can go rest." Remus looked like he wanted to argue, but I waved him off. "Go, I can take care of it."

Remus sighed, and reluctantly headed to his room.

_**I know it was short, but this chapter was more filler. And if you're wondering why Remus didn't tell the truth about Tonks, it'll all make sense soon, don't worry.**_

_**I'll try to have another chapter up soon, but I've had a lot of homework lately, so it may be a couple of weeks. Just as a heads up!**_

_**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to Review!**_


	25. Chapter 25: Caught in a Web

CAUGHT IN A WEB

_**Hello again everyone! I hope you all liked the last chapter. Here's another :)**_

_**I still don't own Harry Potter :( (Still looking for suggestions for these :P)**_

_Tonks_

I lay in my bed that night, trying to find sleep that I knew would never come. My mind kept going into a swirling cycle of excitement, then guilt, followed by worry.

At first, I was filled with elation that bordered on giddiness. Remus Lupin had kissed me! On the lips! And I wasn't dreaming! (At least, I was pretty sure that I wasn't) I realized that I probably sounded completely ridiculous. Here I was, a twenty-one-year-old accomplished Auror with pink hair and combat boots gushing like a melodramatic schoolgirl, but nothing in the world could have made me care. Remus John Lupin had kissed me, Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks, and I hadn't imagined it!

I could still remember everything so vividly: his lightly sweet scent, his hand on my back, gently pulling me closer to him, the initial wave of happiness that coursed through me. I couldn't help but smile and snuggle deeper into the warm blankets at the memory.

Just as I would start thinking that there was any possibility that Remus and I could be together even after this whole fiasco was over, the reality of my situation started to settle in. Remus was dead in my time, and I couldn't bear to tell him that myself. Not only that, but now, he wanted to help me get back home, and I, getting too caught up in the moment, agreed to accept his help. I shouldn't have let things get as far as they did. I should have turned Remus away when he showed up outside my door, but instead I'd let him in.

I sighed. I was just digging myself a deeper hole, and I had no idea how I was going to climb out. Remus had suggested that I come back and live with him and Sirius, but I couldn't do that. Sirius was still too upset with me, and I was _not _going to be the one to come between him and his fellow Marauder. For now, Remus' visit would remain our secret.

I didn't know how this was all going to work out. Remus had insisted upon coming to my next meeting with Snape, but he said that he wouldn't tell Sirius anything about seeing me. How was he going to be able to safely leave Sirius alone long enough to come to Hogwarts with me? This was going to turn into a disaster, I could feel it. I shouldn't have told Remus he could come with me. It was too dangerous to leave Sirius by himself. The entire Wizarding community was looking for him, and of course his best friend's house would be the first place they would look.

I got an uncomfortable sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I felt all the heat drain from my face, chilling me to the bone. I had to think of something. There had to at least some possibility of this all working out, but what could I do? If Sirius was told the truth, he and Remus would get into a fight, but if I told Remus the truth, it could change the future in ways I couldn't possibly predict. I began to realize that I had spun myself a thick web of lies, and nearly everyone I knew, including myself, was caught in it. I needed to find something to release us from its grasp, but what?

I groaned and rolled over onto my side. All of my problems would have been avoided if only there hadn't been that fight at Hogwarts that night. If only Remus hadn't gone, I wouldn't have to worry about him dying, and I could fix this thing.

And then it hit me. I had a time potion that would be ready within the next few weeks, a time potion that would be able to get me back to the precise moment I wanted. There had to be a way that I could get back to that night. I would get a few minutes before Remus was killed and then I could warn him. That would save him and get me back home.

It was a flawed plan. There were a lot of places where things could go wrong. The potion could be mixed improperly, or I would get back too late to change anything. I shook these thoughts out of my head. This was my only option right now. I didn't have a plan B. I just had to do everything I could to make this potion right and hope it came out okay. For Remus.

_**Sorry for another short one. I hope that clears up some things that were unclear from the last chapter. I hope you liked it! Don't forget to Review, please! They make me smile :)**_


	26. Chapter 26: Volatility

VOLATILITY

_**Hi everybody. Here's another chapter. I'm really sorry that it took me so long to get this up. There was a huge storm, and I lost power for a couple days. To top it all off, I got a cold, so I didn't have much time to write because of all the makeup work :( **_

_**Anyways, I hope you like the chapter! Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed! You all are amazing.**_

_**I don't own anything.**_

I walked out of the Three Broomsticks and began trudging my way through the snow toward Hogwarts. It was already the beginning of December, and snow was starting to fall on a regular basis; the air was growing colder each day, but I didn't mind. I had always enjoyed the winter. The skies were a pale gray, and there was a fresh coating of snow on all the buildings. I loved the sound of the snow crunching beneath my feet and the light shimmer as the sun reflected off the ice crystals. It relaxed me to walk through the glimmering Hogsmeade streets on my way to meetings with Snape, especially since the meetings could be so stressful and infuriating. I would normally stroll through the village at a leisurely pace, listening to the sound of shops opening and enjoying the smell of freshly brewed tea, but today I was in a rush.

Remus would be joining me for today's meeting. I was excited to have the extra help with the potion, but there was only one problem: I had forgotten to tell Snape about our visitor. Snape and Remus had a volatile relationship, so there was bound to be fighting. I had to get to Hogwarts before Remus to try to prepare Snape for a meeting with his enemy.

I stepped through the Great Hall and shook the snow from my boots. I headed down the steps of the Grand Staircase and made my way to the Potions classroom. I threw the door open and went across the room to the back, but something stopped me from opening the large, black wooden door that lead to Snape's office. I could hear voices on the other side. I immediately recognized one of them as Remus', and my stomach did a somersault.

"I don't see why you can't just let me help you," I could hear Remus urge coolly.

"Hah!" Snape countered sarcastically. "The dog wants to be useful for once in his life?"

"Severus, I really don't think now's the time to—" Remus was interrupted by my swinging the door open.

"What's going on here?" I asked, though I very well knew the answer. Snape had cornered Remus so that he was stuck with his back nearly pressed up against the fireplace. Snape's deep black eyes pierced into Remus' face while Remus looked defensively at the other man.

"I hoped _you_ could explain," Snape spat, turning angrily to me. "Why did you bring _him _into this?" He said the word "him" as though it was a filthy word, like he expected me to cringe upon hearing it.

"He said he wanted to help us," I explained.

"What can he possibly do to help us?"

"I'll do whatever you want," Remus argued. "I just want to help Tonks get back home."

"You can't help us with anything," Snape retorted, eyes burning deeper into Remus'. "Your kind aren't meant to be near people. You're dangerous. You'll hinder this effort far more than you'll help it."

I expected Remus to shrink back at Snape's comment, as he did when I'd said the same thing to him nearly three weeks before, but instead, he stood strong and confident.

"Look, Severus," he began, "if this has something with what happened at the Whomping Willow—"

"Hah!" Snape barked again. "I knew you had something to do with that! You see! You're dangerous, and people can't be around you."

"Snape!" I warned.

"I didn't have anything to do with that," Remus explained. "It was a complete accident."

"So it just happened to slip that murderer Black's mind that you would be transforming that night?"

"Look, Sirius was being stupid then," Remus replied. "We were all dumb teenage boys that got caught up in what our friends were doing."

"You tormented me for _seven_ years!" Snape whined, his face turning red.

"I'm sorry for what we did," Remus fought back. "We shouldn't have done those things to you, and I should have stepped up and tried to stop it." Snape remained silent, nostrils flaring and black eyes pointed towards the ground. "Don't forget who saved you that night, Severus," Remus warned.

Snape sighed heavily, and some of the color drained from his face. "Alright," he allowed reluctantly, "you can help Tonks get the ingredients." With that, he turned his scowling face away from Remus and headed over to the boiling cauldron on the other side of the room. As he stirred away at the potion, he held a stern glare at Remus and me.

I withdrew the list of ingredients from my pocket and headed over to Remus. "Here's a list Snape made with everything that we need to find," I explained, handing him the list.

"Great," he enthused. "And you know where we can get these things?"

I nodded, "There's a book back in my room with the locations in it." Neither of us said anything for a while. It wasn't an awkward silence; it was just the silence that came along with simply enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly, Snape's voice sounded from across the room, "I suggest you two get started on it if you want to get this thing done within the year." I rolled my eyes and led Remus out the door.

_**Sorry that it was a little short. I'm not sure how happy I am with this chapter, but if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! I have a break from school next week, so hopefully that'll mean more chapters :D Don't forget to Review, please! They make my day happier.**_


	27. Chapter 27: Planning

PLANNING

_**Hi everybody! Sorry it's been a couple weeks since my last update. I had a friend visit for the break, so it was a little difficult to find time to write. I realized that I didn't get a chance to respond to some of your reviews, so here's a quick reply to some of you:**_

_**MyBiggestFan: Thanks so much! I'm really sorry that it's been so long! I really appreciate your suggestion! It makes me so happy to find out that people are getting so into this story that I'm getting requests for what happens next :) I did have an idea for this chapter. It just took a while for me to get it written down. Never fear, though! I have an idea for another fluffy Remus/Tonks scene in the future!**_

_**Dr. Pepper 87: Thank you so much! I'm so glad that people are liking this story so far! I was starting to get worried that the plot was getting too complicated, so it's good to hear that other people are enjoying what I've written!**_

_**To anyone else that either reviewed anonymously or that I didn't get to in my replies: Thank you so much! Your reviews have meant so much to me :)**_

_**Anyways, sorry for the super-long Author's Note. Here's another chapter :) I hope you like it! Don't forget to Review at the end!**_

_**A big thank you to everyone that read/Reviewed/favorited/followed this story! You all make my day :)**_

_**I own nothing :(**_

Remus and I sat on my floor, books, papers, and maps strewn all about the room. We had been reading through the list of ingredients for about three hours, just trying to decide which one to look for next. We had considered traveling to northern Russia to get the fruit from a Tufted Saxifrage plant, but seeing as this was Remus' first trip for ingredients, I figured that he wouldn't fancy intercontinental travel just yet. I scanned the list for something in the area. I had already retrieved the majority of the simpler ingredients, and most of the remaining items required a considerable amount of planning to obtain.

Just then, the large clock downstairs struck one, causing me to nearly leap from my spot on the bed.

"I hadn't realized how long we'd been sitting up here," I mused, trying to gather myself.

Remus nodded slightly and gave a quiet "mhmm", eyes not moving from the map he had scanned for the umpteenth time.

I sighed. Even though it was still early in the afternoon, it felt like we had been researching all day. My eyes were tired from reading the tiny print in the books. My head was spinning from all the complicated names of the ingredients. Even my ears were strained from the unbroken silence. I needed a break from this. I needed to get away from the torn pages and the complicated maps. If I didn't, I was sure that I would suffocate.

"Maybe we should stop now," I suggested.

Remus peeked his eyes up from the map in his hands, "Why? We're only just starting to make progress," he whined jokingly.

I laughed, "We've been up here for hours, and we're no closer to deciding where to go."

"I don't know," Remus argued, "I thought that the carnivorous plants in South America sounded promising," he laughed.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, "I don't think so," I countered.

"Well we're going to have to get them sooner or later," he pointed out, shoving a map in my face. "Look, we can find some right along the coast of Brazil," he enthused, running his finger along the coastline.

I shook my head and shoved the map out of the way, "I prefer later. I don't want to go anywhere near those things."

Remus chuckled and folded up the map, "Well what do you suggest?"

"I don't know," I stalled, searching the lists on the floor for a reasonable excuse. "There are these water plants that aren't too far away."

Remus head perked up. "Great," he offered, "let's go." He got up from his spot next to the bed and started for the door.

I chuckled at his eagerness to help and held him back just as he was about to open the door, "We can't go yet."

Remus turned to me. "Why not?"

"Because we have planning to do beforehand, and it's getting late," I urged. "Won't Sirius start to wonder where you are?" Remus sighed and slumped back into the room. "Why don't you go home," I offered. "Sirius will get worried soon, and you need to get back before he suspects something."

"And what are you going to do?" Remus questioned.

"I'll start making plans for us to get the plant. It shouldn't be too hard." Remus nodded. "In the meantime," I began, "if you're coming to get the ingredients, you're going to have to come up with an excuse for Sirius." Remus nodded again, and I continued telling him my plan, "We'll meet back here tomorrow morning, and I'll let you know what I've found out, okay?"

"Sounds good," he agreed.

It was silent for a few moments, not the ear-splitting silence there was earlier, but a quietness that seemed to fit the mood.

"Well," I began awkwardly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure," Remus returned equally as awkwardly as he opened the door, "see you." He gave me a smile and turned to head out the door. I watched him head down the stairs as his tall figure walked out into the snow.

_**I know this one was short, but it was mostly filler. I promise there will be more action in the next chapter! I have it about half way written so far. I feel horrible about making you wait so long in between chapters, so I'm hoping to have the next one posted either later tonight or tomorrow afternoon, so stay tuned!**_

_**Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to Review!**_


	28. Chapter 28: Fletchlings

FLETCHLINGS

_**Hi again. I promised you all another chapter, so here it is! I know some of you were left a little disappointed after the last chapter, but it was necessary to explain this chapter. Sorry about that! This one is longer than the last few, and it has more crucial plot points, so I hope this makes up for everything! Enjoy! Don't forget to Review at the end, please!**_

_**Thanks again to everyone reading!**_

_**I own nothing.**_

I awoke the next morning feeling oddly refreshed. I knew that I would head out this morning to go find another ingredient, and normally, I dreaded these days. Except for mornings with Snape, there was nothing worse than waking up and heading to the mountains for some rare Snorcack venom. But today was different. I couldn't place it, but something about this morning's mission made me feel energized and ready for whatever the day threw at me.

I tossed the blankets off of me and jumped out of bed. Remus would be arriving soon, and we had to leave early if we were going to get the ingredient before dark. Today we would be going to a large lake in central Scotland to look for the leaves of a Blooming Seafoot plant.

It really didn't seem too difficult. The plant liked to grow in the deepest part of the lake, but its roots usually weren't planted firmly in the soil. I was a decent swimmer, and there were spells and charms that would allow me to breathe underwater long enough to get the leaves. And if we were lucky, some of the leaves would have washed up on the bank, making the whole trip much easier.

After all my research, I found only one thing that could make the trip go badly, the Ridge-horned Fletchlings. My mum used to read me stories in which Fletchlings would seize beautiful maidens and drag them into the lakes of Scotland, and they were never heard from again. They were the types of stories meant to scare small children right before they went to bed.

According to the stories, Ridge-horned Fletchlings were large aquatic beasts that nested in the plants of the deepest parts of lakes. The legends described them as huge, ugly animals with tough skin that was meant to camouflage them with the rocks on the lake-bottom. They were all black, except for the eyes, which were small and red and piercing. Their most distinguishing feature, however, was the large ringed horn that curled up from the forehead, forming a c-shape on top of their heads.

I'd never held much store in my mother's bedtime stories, but I had to admit that it caught me by surprise when I read about the Fletchlings in my research book. I had been reading through the "Aquatic Plants" section of the book Snape had given me. When I turned to the page on the Blooming Seafoot, rather than showing a drawing or photograph of the plant as the other pages had, a large picture of the Fletchling haunted the page. The animal wriggled its hammer-like tail through the water as it made its way through the Seafoot. Underneath the image, in small, italicized writing was, "Note that the harvesting of the Blooming Seafoot could be extremely dangerous. Ridge-horned Fletchlings nest in these aquatic plants, and if aggravated, can be deadly".

At the time, I had disregarded the warning. Fletchlings were mythological creatures that my mother had invented so that I would be careful around ponds and lakes. They couldn't be real.

I shook my head, trying to get the horrible image of the monster of my childhood out of my head. Remus would be coming soon, and he didn't need to come in to see me fretting over imaginary beasts.

Almost as if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and I rushed to open it. Remus stepped inside and shook the snow from his hair and cloak. "I had hoped I'd get here before you were finished getting things ready for today," he said distractedly.

I wrinkled my forehead in confusion, "Why?"

"We're not going to the lake," Remus demanded. "At least, not today."

"Why not?" I argued.

"I was researching last night, and—"

"Remus, I told you I would take care of it," I whined. "Don't you think Sirius will start noticing things if you're off studying every waking hour of the day?"

"That's not the point," he replied, waving me off. "Don't tell me you didn't read about the Fletchlings."

I groaned. "Don't tell me you actually believe in those things," I protested. "Those are just stories our parents made up to scare us into staying close to the banks when we went swimming."

"Tonks," he urged, "I really think we should consider the possibility of there being dangerous creatures in that lake. I mean, if a well-researched book claims that there are Fletchlings in this lake, than there probably are," he reasoned.

"Remus, you really can't believe everything you read in books," I teased, trying to lighten the mood. Remus opened his mouth to protest, but I started speaking again before he could get a word out, "We'll be fine," I assured. "I've checked it all out, and I'm sure we'll be okay." He still looked unsure, so I pulled him into a tight hug. "I promise," I nearly whispered.

When Remus finally released me, he looked slightly more convinced. "Alright," he said hesitantly, "let's go." With that, I ripped out the picture of the Fletchling and the Blooming Seafoot, grabbed Remus' arm, and we twisted into the air.

-oOoOoO-

The view of a large lake surrounded by marshland materialized before us as we reoriented ourselves to the surroundings. There was a large lake that looked almost black due to the overcast sky. Moist grass encompassed the area, making the ground squish beneath our feet.

I took a step closer to the water's edge, hoping that some leaves would have washed up on the bank. There was nothing but mud and grass. I sighed. "Looks like we're going to have to go in," I observed.

Remus stiffened. "Go in?" he repeated blankly.

"Well yeah," I said with a laugh, "when I told you we were going to get aquatic plants, I assumed you knew there might be swimming involved." I chuckled at him for a few moments, trying to decide where best to go in. Remus merely stared at the ground, an ashamed look plastered onto his face. "What's wrong?" I questioned, abandoning my inspection.

"It's nothing," he insisted.

"It has to be something," I pried. "You look like I just told you we were going to jump off a cliff. It's just a swim."

He just nodded. "I know," he assured, "it's just that—well, I didn't—."

I chuckled and eyed him curiously. "Remus, do you know how to swim?"

His face went blood red, and he shifted his weight nervously. "It's not that I can't," he persisted stubbornly, "I just never learned." He hung his head, ashamed.

I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's okay," I comforted, "I bet the Seafoot will be right near the edge anyway." He still looked miserable, and I felt like it was my fault. I'd been the one that decided to get this ingredient today. He'd suggested something yesterday, and I'd shot it down. Instead, I chose to do something he wasn't comfortable with, something that embarrassed him. I was determined to make it right, to make him feel useful. I pulled out my wand and went over to a large willow tree that stood near the water's edge. I reached up, and broke off one of the lower branches. I waved my wand down the length of the bough, and the branch transformed into a long rope.

"Here," I said, handing one end of the rope and tying the other around my waist, "I'll go in and see if I can find the plant. If I need you to pull me up, I'll pull twice on the rope."

"Okay," he agreed as I walked closer to the bank, removing my boots and socks.

I was just about to walk into the river when I heard Remus call from behind me. "Tonks," he began. I turned to face him. "Be careful." His eyes were worried and guilty, and I could tell that he still felt horrible for not being able to come along.

I gave him the biggest smile I could manage. "I'm an Auror," I started jokingly, "I'll be fine." He returned my smile weakly as I began walking out into the middle of the lake.

It was absolutely freezing. The combination of the December air and the cool lake water was making me shiver more with every step. I was about thirty feet out from the edge when the ground started to drop off dramatically; soon my head would be well covered with water. I took out my wand, waved it around my head several times, and a large bubble began to encompass my face. I turned around and saw Remus sitting on the grass near the bank. I gave him a large smile and two thumbs up. I could see him wave to me and return my smile just before I submerged my head in the water.

I searched the lake bottom for the plant. According to the picture, Blooming Seafoot was a very tall plant. The books said that it could grow to be up to six feet tall. It was also a deep green color with star-shaped leaves, but its distinguishing feature was the large, white blooms that covered the structure. I couldn't spot any Seafoot in the area, so I kicked hard and propelled myself further into the lake.

I could see that the lake was getting deeper and deeper, and I began to consider turning back. Several minutes later, there were still no signs of the evasive plant, and I started losing patience. There were large rocks, seaweed, and fish covering the lake-floor, but no Seafoot.

Just as I was about to head back to the bank, I caught a glimpse of a white speck out of the corner of my eye. I turned to the left and saw a huge patch of Blooming Seafoot growing on the bottom. I swam over and into the forest of the fluffy white plants. I plucked several leaves from the plants, and turned to start kicking my way back to the bank, leaves grasped firmly in my fist.

I kicked my right foot but felt something holding me back. A large vine of plants had entangled itself around my foot. I turned and began untwisting the knot of plants.

Just as my foot was freed, I heard a high, screeching sound, and I felt my blood run cold. I whirled around, trying to find the source of the noise. Instead, I turned straight into piercing red eyes and a c-shaped horn.

It was as if all my childhood nightmares stood before me. The bright red eyes burned into my face, making me chill to my very core. The ringed horn was inches from my nose, resting almost teasingly before me. I screamed from inside my bubble and kicked away as fast as I could. The Fletchling followed after me, ramming into my side and causing me to plummet into the lake-floor. Dirt and dust clouded my vision, but I could just make out the foreboding shadow of the monster charging for me. I dove to the right to avoid what surely would have been a fatal attack.

I started swimming back to the bank as quickly as I could, but I could see the leaves I had collected scattered across the bottom of the lake. I swam back to retrieve them, but the Fletchling blocked my way.

It whirled to face me, and I could see the fury build in its eyes as it prepared to charge me again. I waved my wand and cast, "_Stupefy_!" The jet of red light merely bounced off the animal's tough skin. It screeched again, and I could feel the terror begin to take over, causing me to become stiff.

The animal sensed my hesitation and took the opportunity to ram into my chest with its horn. I was thrust backwards, and I felt my head hit one of the large rocks covering the floor of the lake. The Fletchling turned away, giving me a moment's relief that quickly turned to panic. I dropped my wand, but I had no idea where it was. My vision was darkening. My chest and sides burned from the encounter with the Fletchling, making it even harder to breathe. Without my wand, I couldn't keep the bubble around my head, and I was losing air. I felt my head cloud and become dizzy. I could feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness. I needed to get air, and I needed it fast. Just before I went completely unconscious, I remembered the rope wrapped tightly around my waist. With what strength I had left, I reached forward, and gave the rope the strongest tug I could muster. And then, everything went black.

_**I hope you liked this one and that it made up for the boring chapter last time! Leave me a Review with your thoughts!**_


	29. Chapter 29: Comfort

COMFORT

_**Hi again, everyone! Sorry for the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter. I hope everyone likes this chapter! Don't forget to Review at the end, please (can we make it to 100?)**_

_**I still own nothing :(**_

_Remus_

I sat on the bank, the rope grasped so tightly in my hand that my knuckles turned white. _I should be in there_, I thought to myself as my hands began to burn from holding the coarse fibers of the rope so stiffly. _She needed me, and I couldn't help her._ I hung my head, ashamed. I felt like such a coward. Swimming wasn't that hard, at least, it didn't look that hard. And there were plenty of spells that could let you breathe underwater, so why was I so terrified?

Something didn't feel right about this. Maybe Tonks was wrong and there really were Fletchlings at the bottom of the lake. Maybe there were no Budding Watertoe or Flowering Oceanarm or whatever it was out here. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.

The doubts kept swirling around in my head, tuning out everything else. I didn't notice the sun rise, nor did I see it move into the western side of the sky. The impending fog, the croaks of the frogs, everything was little more than a whisper compared to the uncertain thoughts that screamed in my ears. I barely even felt the light tug of the rope passing through my fingers.

I stared at the rope for a moment. The tug meant something. I was sure that the tug meant that I was supposed to do something. Then, my heart dropped. Tonks.

I pulled on the rope as hard as I could, fear making my blood run cold. After about a minute of reeling the rope back in, I began to see a dark figure rise from the water. With each pull on the rope, it drew nearer and nearer to the bank, and I began pulling it in faster.

Once the figure was about ten feet from the edge, I dropped the rope and ran into the lake. I could feel a chill run up and down my legs as the icy waters splashed up to my waist, but my whole body was numb to everything except the mechanical movements of my legs running through the lake. I had to get to her. I was supposed to help her, and now, I was about to lose her.

I finally reached Tonks. I lifted her limp body out of the water and carried her to the bank as fast as I could. When I reached the grass, I laid her down carefully on the ground. Her right side was badly bleeding, dying her shirt a deep crimson. She had a nasty bruise on her forehead that had already started forming into a large bump. Her face and hands were pale, and she was freezing from the cold water. She wasn't breathing.

I felt as if my insides had sunk through the ground, leaving only the shell of my body behind. This couldn't be happening. She was supposed to make it back home, safe and sound. She was supposed to live a long and happy life. She wasn't supposed to die in the lake.

This was my fault. She had expected me to go in with her, but I was too scared. I wasn't able to protect her. Instead, she'd given me some worthless job to make me feel useful, thinking she could accomplish the real task herself. But she was wrong, and it was my fault that this had happened.

Just as the guilt began to fill up inside me, I saw Tonks twitch out of the corner of my eye. She then started to cough, trying to clear her lungs. I rushed to her side and raised her head off the ground to make it easier for her to breathe.

After several seconds of coughing, she opened her eyes; they looked clouded and confused, and I could tell she was struggling to keep them open.

"Fletchling…" she breathed, "in the Seafoot…attacked me…I couldn't…it fell…and I…my wand…."

"It's alright," I assured her, hoping my voice sounded steadier than I really felt. "We'll get it back later." Tonks' eyes closed, and I knew she had gone unconscious. I laid her back on the ground, unsure of what to do next. Judging by the bleeding in her side and the large bruise on her forehead, she probably needed to see a doctor, but I couldn't take her to St. Mungo's. That would just lead to more questions about who she was and what we were doing.

I grasped my wand, and healed her side and head the best I could. I was no Healer, but I was fairly good at Healing charms. Once I was sure that her injuries were sufficiently healed, I decided it was best to get her back to the Three Broomsticks.

I scooped Tonks into my arms and concentrated on her room. If I made the slightest mistake, we would end up in the barroom, and that would raise many more questions, questions I wasn't sure I could answer. I had to Apparate in her room. I took a deep breath and felt myself twist through the air.

I shut my eyes tight, praying that we weren't in the middle of the bar. I dared to open one eye a crack and felt myself release a sigh of relief when the familiar sight of Tonks' room materialized. I could see through the window that it was now rather late into the day.

I laid Tonks down on her bed and performed a quick drying spell to dry her clothes. I was about to head downstairs in search of some extra blankets when I heard a mumbling sound from behind me. I turned to see Tonks lightly stirring. "Don't go," she begged quietly, half way between consciousness and sleep. I contemplated quickly running down the stairs to get the blankets, but the overwhelming guilt gripped at me once again, and I headed over to the bed. I kneeled next to her, stroking her hair in what I hoped was a comforting way.

Tonks turned over slightly and patted the other side of the bed. "Sit here," she instructed weakly. I headed over to the other side of the bed and lay down, telling myself that I would rest for only a few moments.

I continued rubbing Tonks' arm soothingly, running my hand from the tip of her small shoulder to the crook of her elbow. I hoped that the motion would help her fall into a comforting, restful sleep. Little did I know that the movement would act as a lullaby for me as well, gradually making my eyes heavier and heavier. It wasn't until my eyes shut that I realized I had fallen asleep.

_**Thanks for reading! I have the next couple of chapters planned out, so hopefully it won't be too long before I update again. I have exams and a basketball tournament next week, though, so if it takes longer than I intended, don't worry. I promise I didn't forget about this story!**_

_**Anyways, thanks again! Don't forget to Review!**_


	30. Chapter 30: Excuses

EXCUSES

_**Hi everybody! Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I had exams last week, so that took up a lot of time. I'm on break now, so hopefully I'll be able to post a one or two more chapters this week. **_

_**Also, thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed! 108 REVIEWS! That's about four times what I ever expected any of my stories to get! Thank you so much for all your continued support!**_

_**As always, I still own nothing**_

_Tonks_

I knew that it was morning, but I didn't want to believe it. Everything was so comfortable. The room was normally so cold that I could see my breath when I walked through the door, but it felt warm now, wrapping me in a chrysalis of heat. My bed was usually so lumpy and hard that I would wake up in the morning with a sore back. This morning, it was soft and relaxing, making me smile and snuggle deeper into the blankets.

Suddenly, something moved from behind me. It made a deep, slow up and down movement, like someone taking in a long, satisfied sigh. My eyes snapped open, and I dared to glimpse over my shoulder. To my surprise, Remus lay on the other side of the bed. At first, I was completely shocked. I couldn't remember anything that had happened.

Remus gave another deep breath, and I was forced to smile. He looked so peaceful when he slept. His hand was resting gently on my shoulder, causing me to blush ever so slightly. The lines had disappeared from his face, as if all of the worries he'd been carrying had vanished, and the scars on his face were less noticeable, dissolving any trace of his difficult past. The sun began to shine through the window and landed on his sandy brown hair, making it appear golden, like a halo on top of his head.

He looked so serene. It was a relief to see him look so relaxed after all the stress he'd been through the last couple of weeks.

And then, the panic started settling in. Every one of the previous day's events came flooding back to me: the Fletchling, the fight, dropping the Seafoot and my wand…then nothing. I could vaguely remember Remus standing over me with a worried look haunting his pale face. My head began to throb, and I reached up to touch a rather large bruise on my forehead. I'd said something to him, but I couldn't remember what. I cursed myself internally. It didn't matter what I'd said then. All that mattered was that Remus had fallen asleep in my room.

He wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be at his house with Sirius. Sirius wasn't supposed to know about any of this. How were we going to keep it from him now?

I groaned and tried to wriggle my way out from underneath Remus' hand. I paced back and forth, trying to figure out a way out of this mess.

Just as I'd started my third lap around the room, Remus began to stir from his spot on the bed. I stopped my worried trek in front of the bed and eyed him curiously.

"Good morning," he greeted with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and gave him a sarcastic smirk. "Morning," I replied.

Remus gave a pleasant sigh and attempted to go back to sleep before his eyes shot open to the size of saucers. "I fell asleep," he muttered, horrified. I nodded. Remus sat up in bed and held his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry," he apologized. He sat on the edge of the bed now, his breathing heavy.

I sat next to him and let out a sigh. "I'm the one who should be apologizing," I reasoned. "You were right when you told me not to go into the lake. I was just too stubborn to listen."

Remus waved me off. "No it wasn't your fault," he persisted. "I stayed to make sure you were alright," he explained, his face turning pale, "and I must have fallen asleep. I should have been more careful," he scolded himself.

I sighed again, "It doesn't matter whose fault this was," I began. "It happened, and now we have to figure out how to explain your overnight absence to Sirius."

Remus groaned. "Why do we have to lie to him?" he questioned, irritated. "Sirius is a sensible guy. I'm sure he would understand and want to help us."

I bit my lip nervously. "It's best that he doesn't know," I defended, trying to avoid the subject. Remus gave me a look that told me plainly that he wanted a further explanation. "Just trust me," I said firmly.

"Well, then what are we going to tell him?"

My mind raced, trying to come up with a decent defense. "We could say that you got a job working night shifts," I invented.

Remus chuckled sarcastically, "But then I'd have to be gone every night." We sat for several minutes, trying to come up with a good story. Remus suggested telling Sirius that it was the full moon last night, but Sirius had been keeping track of the lunar calendar since his fourth year and would have caught the lie. I thought we could say that he'd lost track of time in the library, knowing that Remus would probably spend hours at a time reading books. Remus shot that idea down, saying that it wouldn't explain why he didn't go home when the library closed. I groaned. We were nowhere nearer to figuring out what to say to Sirius than we were half an hour ago.

Suddenly, Remus' head perked up. "I got it," he enthused. "I can tell him that I was at my mum's and she'd made me stay over," he explained. "Sirius hates my mum. He'll never question it." I grinned. It was a perfect excuse.

As soon as we'd solidified the story, Remus prepared to leave for his house. I told myself that this explanation would work. Sirius would believe it, and everything would continue on as it had before. I had told myself so many times that this plan was foolproof that I almost believed it. The only thing that held me back was the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as Remus headed out the door.

_**Sorry again for the long wait and for the not-so-interesting chapter. I'm not really sure how happy I am with this chapter, but it was necessary to explain the next bit. I promise that the next part will be more interesting :) **_

_**Oh, and a belated Merry Christmas to everyone!**_


	31. Chapter 31: Betrayal

BETRAYAL

_**Here's another chapter! Thanks to everyone who has read and Reviewed :) You make me so happy. Enjoy!**_

_**Harry Potter isn't mine :(**_

_Remus_

I walked through the front door, tiptoeing into the room. The door clicked closed, and I hesitantly made my way inside.

"Glad to see you decided to come back," a sarcastic voice sounded from behind me. I whirled around and saw Sirius' angered figure glaring at me from the couch.

"Yeah," I began, nervously running my hand through my hair, "Sorry I was out so late," I apologized. "I was at my mum's and she insisted that I stay over."

Sirius rose from the couch and crossed his arms over his chest, pacing around the room like a vulture. "That's funny," he mused. His eyes pierced through me, making me grow nervous under his stare. "Your mum stopped by here earlier," he revealed. I felt all blood drain from my body, and my face paled. "I transformed and watched from the window. She kept knocking and telling you to open the door," he finished with a sarcastic nod. "Now, why would she come looking for you if you were already at her place?"

I sighed, "Look, Sirius," I started, "I _couldn't_ tell you."

"Where were you really?" he demanded.

I could feel my breathing become shallow, and my thoughts began to race. I had to come up with something. I could use Tonks' excuse of being at the library, but he probably would have easily seen through the lie. I didn't know what to do.

I groaned. I was just going to have to come out and explain the whole thing. Maybe Tonks was wrong, and Sirius really could help us. I took a deep breath, and began the story. "I was with Tonks." Sirius' eyes widened, and he was taken aback. He opened his mouth to question me further, but I cut him off. "I've been meeting with her for the past couple of days. She talked to Severus and found out that there's a potion that could help her get back. We've been meeting to try to collect the different ingredients. She got hurt last night when she was looking for an aquatic plant. I stayed with her to make sure she was alright," I finished.

"Where has she been staying?" Sirius asked.

"The Three Broomsticks," I answered. "She got a room there once her money ran out for the Leaky Cauldron."

"So you've been seeing her this whole time?" he questioned, a betrayed look flashing across his face.

"I'm sorry," I responded. "I wanted to tell you, but—"

"Did she say anything?" Sirius interrupted.

"What do you mean?"

Sirius sighed. "Did she tell you about anything that happens?"

"Well, no," I started, "but I didn't—" Before I finish my sentence, Sirius had grabbed me by the arm and was pulling me into the fireplace, Floo Powder grasped firmly in his fist. "Sirius," I protested, trying to free myself from his strong grip, "can't we just—"

"She has to tell you something," Sirius explained. I could feel the anger rising in Sirius' voice. "You _have_ to know."

Before I could say anything else, Sirius had thrown the Floo Powder on the grate, causing both of us to become enveloped in emerald flames.

-oOoOoO-

_Tonks_

Remus had just left for his house, but I still felt uneasy. I desperately hoped that Sirius believed Remus' story, and we could avoid a very sticky situation.

I knew that if Sirius found out about Remus' meetings with me, that would lead to questions about whether or not I'd told him about the future. I shuddered at the thought of looking into Remus' deep blue eyes and telling him that he would be dead when I got back home. This plan just _had _to work.

Just then, the fireplace on the back wall began to spark and crackle. Emerald sparkles leapt from the grate and landed on the floor with a snap. Suddenly, a huge, green inferno filled the fireplace, and two men stepped into the room. I felt my stomach drop through the floor.

Sirius entered the room, dragging Remus behind him. His eyes were nearly black as he glared at me. His gaze was so intense, I instantly wanted to remove myself from it. Sirius' mouth was curled into a deep snarl. His face seemed to be covered by a dark shadow, making him seem all the more menacing. It was the first time I saw the slightest murderous look in my cousin's face.

"Tell him," he demanded as he threw Remus into the room. Remus' face reflected the fear I felt.

"Sirius," Remus began in an attempt to calm his friend's tirade, "let's just calm down."

"No," Sirius screeched, "she has to tell you this herself."

I opened and closed my mouth nervously several times. I didn't know what to say. On one side of me, Sirius glowered at me with piercing eyes, demanding that I tell his best friend, the man I cared for more than I dared to admit, that he would die before he reached the age of forty.

Remus came to my defense, "If this has something to do with the future, then I don't want to know," he argued.

"Remus," Sirius seethed, "you don't understand. If you knew what she'd been keeping from you—"

"But I don't know, and I don't want to," Remus stated firmly. "If I knew, it would change things in ways we couldn't imagine."

"I don't give a rat's behind what changes the future," Sirius yelled. "She's keeping something from you, something that you have a right to know!"

"Sirius," I started, "I can't." I could feel the tears begin to form in my eyes at the prospect of telling Remus the truth.

"Tell him!" he shouted again.

"Sirius—" I begged.

"Tell him!"

"I—"

"Tell him!"

The tears were flowing down my face now, and I was forced to turn away. "That's enough!" I heard Remus howl. Sirius stopped his rant and stared dumbfounded at Remus. "I don't care about whatever you think she needs to tell me," he said slightly more calmly. "Is it really worth all of this?" he questioned, indicating to both Sirius and me.

"Remus, if you knew what really happens—"

"But I don't _want _to know what happens," Remus argued. "And I certainly don't want to make Tonks say anything if it makes her this upset," he defended.

Sirius looked as though he was about to explode. His face was bright red, and his face had twisted into a grimace. "Is that really what you think?" he spat. Remus gave a stiff nod. "Well, maybe you don't need me here anymore," Sirius fumed. "I mean I'm obviously getting in the way of whatever it is you two are doing."

"No," Remus urged, "I just don't want to change anything, especially if it causes this much of a controversy."

Sirius laughed sarcastically, "Classic Remus," he growled, "too scared to get into a fight even if it's the right thing to do! Keep up with your little game here," he allowed angrily, "but I don't want to live a lie."

Before either of us could stop him, Sirius grabbed a bit of leftover Floo Powder and headed into the fireplace. He threw it onto the ground without a word and disappeared in a flash of green, leaving Remus and me alone in the empty room.

_**I know that was pretty sad, and I'm sorry for that. I promise things will look up soon and that this story will have a happy ending. Send me your thoughts in a Review!**_


	32. Chapter 32: A Very Merry Christmas

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

_**Hi everybody! Here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy. Don't forget to Review at the end, please!**_

_**I do not own Remus, Tonks, or anyone/thing else you recognize :(**_

I sat frozen on the edge of the bed, not moving my eyes from the green sparks that still fluttered around the fireplace. I felt my body run cold, causing me to shiver and shake. I couldn't believe it. Sirius had left. Just like that, he'd gone into the fireplace and disappeared.

My breathing became heavy as my mind spun with the possibilities of where he could be right now. He could have run into Ministry officials or gotten stuck in an unfamiliar place. And it was my fault. He'd come to my room, wanting me to tell his friend the truth. He wanted to protect his best friend, and I'd been too scared to say anything. Now, there was no telling where Sirius was. The entire Wizarding community was looking for him, and he was now unprotected because of me.

I turned to look at Remus. His face was so pale it was nearly green, making the scars on his face more prominent. His shoulders were trembling, and his eyes were glued to the dissipating green sparks. He seemed so helpless and afraid.

A pang of guilt coursed through my body. It didn't matter how many times I told myself I would never hurt Remus, I had caused him pain once again.

Remus sank down to the floor and held his face in his hands. I slipped down from the bed and sat next to him.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized as Remus turned to face me. "This is my fault. I should have said something."

"No," he waved me off, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him, "you didn't do anything wrong. You shouldn't have told me," he assured. He held me tight, as though he was worried that I would slip through his hands. Despite his valiant attempt to hide it, I could sense Remus' pain. I could hear it in his voice. I could feel it in his trembling arms. I could see it in his worried face.

I sighed and rested my head on his strong shoulder. We sat there silently for a few moments, holding each other in a comforting embrace. I knew that we were both worrying about Sirius; where he was, what he was doing, if he was alright, but the shock was still too fresh to say anything about it.

Finally, I was the one to break the silence. "Do you think he'll be alright?" I asked.

Remus sighed, "Sirius is smart," he told me, rubbing my shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure he'll find a way to stay safe."

I prayed with all my heart that Remus was right.

-oOoOoO-

Remus and I tried our best to make things right again. I continued searching for the rest of the ingredients, and Remus split his time between helping me and looking for Sirius. He went to all of their old hangouts and followed leads in the newspapers, both tactics having little success. I was able to locate the remainder of the ingredients, and despite the fact that I still had no wand, I was able to collect every item. Well, every item except one.

The Seafoot was still at the bottom of the lake along with my wand, but there was no way that I was going to try to collect it without magic. Remus assured me that I would be able to get it soon and that I would be able to go home, but I still couldn't come up with a plan to get passed the Fletchlings. For now, I continued to search for it in other places.

About two weeks passed, and I still was no closer to finding the last ingredient than I had been when I first arrived in 1981. After convincing Remus that there was little he could do to help me since I only had to find one more thing, he agreed to spend his time searching for Sirius.

I prayed that I would get the Seafoot soon so that I could go back home and this all would be over. Hopefully when I got back, everything would be alright between Sirius, Remus, and me, and, more important, with luck, I would be able to warn Remus before anything terrible happened.

Snape had told me that I still had a few weeks to find the Seafoot while the rest of the potion brewed, so, after long consideration, I decided to indulge myself with a day of relaxing in my room. I lay on my bed, a book I had borrowed from Remus clutched in my hands. It was a particularly cold day, and I pulled my knees up to my chest to maintain my body heat. I leaned back onto the pillows. It was a relief to have one day where I didn't have to worry about potions, or time travel, or much of anything else for that matter. I closed my eyes and let out a peaceful sigh.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and went to greet my visitor. I pulled the door open, and Remus stood in the entry, snow covering his sandy hair.

"Remus," I greeted, "what are you doing here?"

He smiled at me, "Is that any way to welcome a friend?" he joked. "I can leave if you want."

I rolled my eyes, "I just thought you were supposed to be out looking for Sirius."

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, causing snow to drip onto the floor. "I was, but it's Christmas, and I thought we could both use the day off."

I could feel my eyes widen. It was Christmas already? I had been so busy trying to find the ingredients, I'd lost track of the date.

Remus eyed me curiously, and I was reminded of him standing in the doorway. I moved to the side and let him in.

"So, have you had any luck with the Seafoot?" he asked, moving into the room.

I sighed. "Not yet. I'm hoping that a shop might have it somewhere," I explained. "You would think that somebody would have gathered the plant at some point," I finished sarcastically.

Remus grinned a wide, impish smile and reached into his robe. He pulled out a small, sparkling red gift bag.

"What's this?" I asked, taking the bag from him.

"Just something to wish you a Merry Christmas," he stated proudly.

I stared at the bag distastefully for a moment. Remus had gone out of his way to get me something for Christmas. After everything that I'd put him through, he had gotten me a Christmas gift. He had done so much for me, and I had nothing to give him.

"Well, are you going to open it?" he pried.

I rolled my eyes and removed the mounds of tissue paper. I felt my mouth fall open when I saw what was inside. From the bag, I withdrew a water-filled container, a fluffy, white plant floating on the inside. Tied to the top of the container was a long, elegantly carved strip of red oak.

I gazed at Remus wide-eyed. I removed the bow from the container and grasped my wand in my fingers, sparks shooting from the end the moment it touched my skin. All I could manage was a strained, "How—?".

"That's not fair," he joked, a proud smile on his face. "It's not polite to ask where the gift comes from," he teased.

I ignored the sarcasm in his tone; I was still in too much shock. "Thank you," I breathed.

Remus smiled, "You're welcome."

I sighed, Remus had done so much for me, and I had nothing to give him. Surely there had to be something I could do. I placed the container of Seafoot on the bedside table.

"I want to tell you," I said heavily.

Remus gave me a nervous look. "Tell me what?"

"What happens," I answered. I sat down on the edge of the bed and beckoned for him to sit next to me.

"We've been through this," he replied, sitting down. "It's too dangerous for you to tell me anything that happens."

I took a deep breath, "You have a right to know," I allowed. "And, if something goes wrong," I hesitated, "you should be warned."

Remus paled slightly. "Be warned about what?"

I breathed deeply again, and closed my eyes. I had to tell him. Sirius had been right. If I really cared about Remus, I had to muster the courage to tell him the truth. If I couldn't give him anything else, at least maybe I could give him a warning. "Before I came here," I began, "in June of 1997, there was a fight at Hogwarts. People broke into the castle and started attacking the students. You and I were there to help, and I got hurt," I sighed deeply, preparing myself to tell him the worst part. I looked into his bright blue eyes, eyes that were so soft and comforting, eyes that gave me the strength to continue on. I drew another deep breath. "When I woke up, they told me that you had been killed that night."

I braced myself for his reaction. I prepared myself for yelling, confusion, and anger, but when I looked back to Remus' face, his expression was accepting. His eyes were wide and surprised, but he looked shockingly calm for a man that had just been told of his impending death. "Is that what Sirius wanted you to tell me?" he asked.

I nodded, and I could feel the hot tears start to well in my eyes. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't tell you then," I apologized. "I didn't know what to say."

Remus pulled me into a tight hug. "It's alright," he comforted. "Thank you for telling me."

I pulled back from him. "You're not mad?"

He flashed me a handsome smile. "Why would I be mad? I don't think I would have been able to tell someone else what you just told me."

I smiled and felt a tear leak from my eye. Remus wiped it away gently, and he held my face in his hand. "It's going to be okay," he told me. I looked back into his face, and I felt my heart begin to swell. I had been kidding myself before; I more than cared about Remus. I loved him. I had been pushing myself away from him so that neither of us would be hurt, but now I could see how much he meant to me. He cared about me, he had to. If he didn't, he wouldn't have spent all this time helping me. And goodness knew that I loved him so much, it was just going to get us both in trouble. But I didn't care.

With that thought, I closed the gap between our faces and pressed my lips to his. As I kissed him, I felt all my worry leave me. For the first time since I'd arrived in 1981, I truly believed that everything was going to be alright in the end. One of Remus' hands ventured to the back of my head, pulling me closer to him, his other hand resting in the middle of my back. Nothing mattered anymore; it all felt right.

We broke apart, and Remus grinned, "I love you," he said happily. All I could do was smile back at him.

_**Awww! I know that the Christmas-scene was a couple of weeks late, but I thought it was adorable. Let me know what you guys thought!**_

_**On another note, I'm headed back to school in a couple of days :( Hopefully I'll have time to get another chapter up before too long, but I wanted to give you a heads up in case it takes longer than I expected.**_

_**Don't forget to Review, please! They make me happy!**_


	33. Chapter 33: The Last Step

THE LAST STEP

_**Hi again everyone! Here's another chapter. I hope you like it! Don't forget to Review at the end, please!**_

_**Nope, Harry Potter still isn't mine :(**_

I slipped out the door of the Three Broomsticks, a chill running down my spine. It was one of the coldest days of the year, and I could almost see the chilliness in the frozen air. I wrapped my robe tighter around myself and continued my trek through the snow, teeth chattering more with every step.

Besides the freezing temperatures, it was a very nice morning. The sky was a bright blue, causing rays of sun to reflect off the snow crystals and dance on the sides of the buildings. The icicles on the rooftops of the shops hung elegantly toward the snow-covered ground, flashing reflections around the village.

I couldn't decide which made me more peaceful: the fact that the morning was so lovely (despite my shivers) or the knowledge that I had officially collected every ingredient for the potion. I was nearly giddy at the thought that this would mean an end of my torturous meetings with Snape and my fears of turning the future into a complete mess. I realized that I now had the opportunity to make things right again, to preserve and improve what I knew was going to come, and the thought brought a smile to my face. Sirius and Remus would be friends again once I returned, Remus would survive the fight at Hogwarts, and all of the fighting we had done prior to that fateful night will never have happened. I finally felt a glimpse of security in my situation.

Finally, I reached the Hogwarts entrance and made my way inside. I stopped in the Entrance Hall just long enough to shake the snow from my boots and then proceeded down the long hallways to the Potions office. It was still quite early, and all of the students were still in bed. It was eerie to see the school so quiet, without the booms and bangs of pranks and spells gone wrong and the chatter of stressed students.

When I arrived in the dungeons, I paused a moment before pushing open the door to the Potions office. This was it. In a few weeks, the potion would be finished brewing, and I would be able to go home. I knew that going back to 1997 would mean an end to all the craziness that went on during the last two months and, hopefully, a better future, but I couldn't bring myself to open that black wooden door without feeling a twinge of sadness. I would be leaving the friends I had gotten to know and love to go to a different time, a time where yet another war had broken out. I was leaving a time of peace and jubilation for a time of fighting and struggle. I was leaving comfort and safety for uncertainty and danger. I had gotten to know Sirius and Remus in a different, closer way (and truthfully, I had even started liking Snape a bit), and I felt my heart ached at the thought of leaving them.

I told myself that it was for the best. I would leave everything exactly the way it should be. Remus and Sirius would become friends again without me there to mess anything up; I would get back in time to warn Remus before something bad happens in the fight; and I had altered as little as possible. This was what I was supposed to do. It was all going to turn out right in the end.

With a deep breath, I pushed the door open and headed inside. Inside the office, Snape was stirring busily at a huge cauldron. Purple bubbles rose from the contents and popped just before they reached the ceiling. The potion had an odd odor (somewhere between lilac and soap) and was so fragrant, it nearly burned my nose.

I took another step inside, causing Snape to turn toward me. "What are you doing here?" he huffed, going back to his meticulous stirring. "I told you not to come back until next month."

I rolled my eyes and moved into the center of the room, "I thought this might be useful," I returned sarcastically, drawing the container of Seafoot from my robes.

Snape reached for the container. He shook it around, inspecting its contents before shrugging. "It'll have to do," he allowed before setting it on the side of the cauldron and returning to the potion.

"Is that it, then?" I asked, already headed for the door.

Snape merely grunted. I took it for a yes and swung the door open, thanking him before I left.

_**Well there it is! I know this one was a little uneventful, but I promise the next couple will be better.**_

_**Before I go, I have a question for you all (your answer will affect what I write for the last couple of chapters, so PLEASE respond in a review or PM): **_

_**Do you want a sequel?**_

_**I have an idea for one, but if you don't want a whole other story, I could work the main ideas into this one. Let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading!**_


	34. Chapter 34: Remembrance

REMEMBRANCE

_**A huge thank you to everyone who Reviewed and answered my question! YOU ARE GETTING A SEQUEL! I'm so excited about it. **_

_**Here's another chapter for this story! Don't forget to Review at the end, please!**_

_**As much as I would like to, I still do not own Harry Potter.**_

Time went on, as it always does. Snape assured us that the potion would be ready in a matter of weeks. Well, the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to a month, and before we knew it, 1982 was upon us.

Now that I was no longer required to spend my days searching for potion ingredients, I helped Remus look for Sirius. We listened to the radio for reported sightings, we scanned the newspapers for notices, and we searched old childhood hangouts (we even went to Grimmauld Place). Each method led to the same result: a whole lot of nothing. I could tell that several weeks without progress was starting to take its toll on Remus. He was getting more and more stressed and nervous for his friend. I knew that he was trying to hide it, but after spending so much time with him, I was able to see through his chivalrous façade.

I could detect the lines of worry growing deeper into his face. I could see the darkened purple circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. I could hear the shakiness in his voice. He needed the security of knowing that his friend was safe, and I was determined to help him, even if it seemed like there was nothing else we could do.

We continued this way for some time until one morning in mid-January. I had Flooed over to Remus' house early, ready to go anywhere Sirius might have been sighted. When I got there, I found Remus just finishing up a bowl of cereal.

"Where are we off to today?" I questioned, pulling up a chair at the table.

"Well," Remus began, rinsing his bowl in the sink, "we've been to all of the obvious places, and the news has been slow this morning," he reasoned. "I suppose we could double back and check some places again. I was thinking maybe he would go back to the Shrieking Shack. We could try there if you want," he finished as he dried off the bowl and put it back in the cupboard.

I jumped up from my seat, "Sounds good," I enthused. I grabbed Remus' arm, and together we Apparated to Hogsmeade.

It was a quiet morning in the Hogsmeade streets. Many of the shops were still closed, removing the usual hustle and bustle from the roads; there was no sound save the crunching of the snow beneath our feet.

We easily made our way to an eerie building on the outskirts of the village. Upon glancing at the house in its entirety, it became obvious how it had gained its infamy. Its shabby rooftop barely covered the slanted structure of the house. There wasn't a single window unbroken. The shards of glass littered the surrounding area, and the creaky walls seemed to sway forebodingly in the light breeze.

We made our way inside the little house. The inside looked just as bad as the outside; everything was covered in an extremely thick layer of dust, making it almost impossible to distinguish any color of the furniture or walls. The wallpaper and paint were peeling in several places, making the whole area seem more menacing. The curtains were ripped and torn in several places, allowing tiny bars of sunshine to enter the room.

I guessed that we were in the living room. A once beautiful sofa sat in the center of the room behind an ornate coffee table. Two matching chairs were opposite the couch, a dust-covered bookshelf between them. I took a step further inside, and I could feel the floorboards creak under my weight.

I drew my foot back onto firmer ground. "You're sure it's safe in here?" I questioned, only half-joking.

Remus rolled his eyes and chuckled. "If this place can hold a werewolf and several animals, I'm sure that it will be fine if the two of us pass through."

Feeling slightly comforted, I headed inside the house. "We'll head upstairs," Remus instructed. "There are more rooms up there," he said, indicating toward a rickety staircase.

I nodded, and, taking a deep breath, made my way up the stairs. I could feel my stomach drop with every squeak of the railing, and I walked ever slower. Remus laughed at my cautiousness. "It's not going to fall," he assured from behind me.

"And what if it does?" I countered a little more sternly than I had intended due to my nervousness.

"If it does and we both die, I give you full permission to haunt me in the afterlife," Remus teased.

I rolled my eyes and continued my slow march up the stairs. Finally, we reached the top. The stairs led to a long hallway. Muddy animal prints led the way down the hall, and I could just barely make out the shape of a deer hoof. A little further down, there were faint rat claws, followed by a large, padded wolf paw. The last print, though, made me pause and lean down closer to the ground to better examine it. It was more visible than the others. It was a dog's paw. Its dark claws and padded foot contrasted sharply against the pale floor. It had to be Sirius' footprint.

"Remus," I called, beckoning him to take a look.

Remus bent down and looked at the print. "He's been here," he reasoned, straightening up and heading down the hall. "Check down there to see if he's still here," Remus instructed, entering one of the rooms. I did as I was told and took the room across the hall. It was a library, a rather small one, but a library nonetheless. Two tiny bookshelves lined the back wall, dusty spines covering their shelves. A tattered armchair sat in the corner, its old cushions sinking sadly toward the floor. I took a step further inside and searched the room, nothing.

I left the room and continued on the next one, again finding no other signs of Sirius. I searched the rest of the rooms down the hall, each one being as empty as the last. When there were no rooms left to search, I headed back to the first room to look for Remus.

I found him in the room closest to the stairs. He looked distracted by something; he stared, unmoving at the wall, a pained expression on his face. "Remus?" I called from the hall, causing him to snap his head toward me. "Everything okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah," he answered unconvincingly, "it's fine."

I entered the room and stood next to him to see what had so gripped his attention, and I could feel myself gasp at what I saw. In the center of the wall, written in big letters were the words, "Mischief Managed", and underneath was "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs".

I looked to Remus, who was still eying the phrase with a distasteful look. "We did that the night before we graduated," he told me. "Wanted to leave some sort of impression, I guess," he reminisced with a sad, ironic smile, "now look at it." I supposed that the letters were once a vibrant, shimmering gold, but they were now faded and dull and forgotten.

I turned back to Remus. The pain on his face made him appear old not only physically, but I could tell that the time of bearing burdens beyond his years was beginning to take its toll.

I drew my wand and rewrote the phrase. With every swish of the wand tip, a golden strand filled the air. Once I was finished, I pushed the words forward so they covered the old with a glimmering, permanent, golden finish.

"There," I said, wrapping a comforting arm around Remus' shoulder. "Now they'll never be forgotten."

I placed my head on his shoulder, and out of the corner of my eye, I could just barely see a small tear trail down Remus' face.

_**Well, there it is. I know this one was probably pretty sad, but don't worry. I promised you a happy ending, and you will get one! Let me know what you thought of this! Thanks for reading!**_


	35. Chapter 35: Running Out of Time

RUNNING OUT OF TIME

_**Hi again! Thank you all so much for reading and Reviewing! Here's the next chapter. There are some POV shifts, but I tried to make them clear. Hope you all like it!**_

_**I don't own anything**_

_Tonks_

I waited for Remus in the living room of the Shrieking Shack. He was still upstairs, staring at the golden writing on the wall. It was terrible, I thought, that so much had changed in so little a time. That writing had been placed on the wall just four years ago, and it had already deteriorated from its original beauty. Everything seemed to be falling apart, and I felt helpless to change it.

After several moments, I could hear the creaking of the floorboards, signifying that Remus was coming down the stairs. When he reached the bottom floor, he sighed. He didn't look as worn as he had just minutes ago; now his exhaustion has dissipated until it was a mere ghost upon his face.

"Ready to go?" he asked heavily.

I nodded. "Where to next?"

"We could try the Leaky Cauldron again," he reasoned. "He would blend in more in London."

"Alright," I agreed, taking Remus' arm and preparing to Apparate to London.

Just as Remus began twisting his wand through the air, I saw a silvery figure through one of the broken windows. A shimmering tail trailed behind it as it bounded its way through Hogsmeade and toward the Shack. It stopped just short of us, and I could easily make out the features of a doe.

It opened its mouth, and Snape's voice called to us. "Remus, Tonks," it began, "the potion is ready. I'll be dropping it by the house in ten minutes, and I'll explain what you need to do." It then disappeared without another word.

I felt my stomach drop. Here was the one moment that I had been waiting for for the past three months. My head began to spin at the thought of going back home, of leaving everything that I knew of this time to go to a place where I wasn't sure what had happened. I didn't know what I had changed by being in the 1980's. For all I knew, the war could be worse than it was when I had left.

I knew that I had to go back, but I felt uncertain about what I would be returning to. I looked up and saw Remus brightened face looking down at me. He looked happy and relaxed, and he smiled at me. I knew that he assumed that I would be glad to be returning home, that I would feel as though some great weight was lifted from my shoulders, but nothing could have been farther from the truth. I was terrified of facing the consequences of my actions here, afraid of confronting what I didn't know.

"Ready?" Remus asked, pulling me from my reverie.

"For what?" I returned, taken aback a bit by his question. "I thought we were going to London."

"We have to be there when Severus brings the potion," he explained.

"What about looking for Sirius?" I countered.

"You and I both know that our chances of finding him today are no better than they were two weeks ago," Remus argued. "No one will find Sirius unless he wants to be found. We need to get you back home."

I felt myself stiffen, and I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, Remus had spun through the air, taking us back to his house.

-oOoOoO-

_Sirius_

I padded down the alleyways of London, searching for something to eat. Normally, I could stop by the Leaky Cauldron, and Tom would feed me some scraps. Unfortunately, I had been walking through the night and was now on the opposite side of the city. I felt my stomach rumble and started walking faster.

It had been about one month since I'd left Remus and Tonks, and things had been difficult since then. Not outrunning the Ministry (Aurors could be real idiots sometimes), but I had never felt the same sense of security and belonging as I had when I stayed with them.

Initially, this all seemed like the adventure of a lifetime. Sure there were major consequences if I got caught, but what boy doesn't dream of living life on the road and having to answer to no one. Then the loneliness started to settle in. I had been a dog for the past month, and I was desperate for human interaction (more than just the occasional child running up to scratch behind my ear).

I had to keep moving or else risk being taken in by the Ministry, and I was starting to run out of hiding spots. They had taken my wand when they first took me to Azkaban, so I had to stick to places within walking distance. I had stayed in the Shrieking Shack for a while, but was quickly on the move three days later when I couldn't stand my grumbling stomach any longer.

Food wasn't hard to come by; when you're an adorable dog, people are practically begging to give it to you. It did, however, determine where I would stay for long periods of time. I had to go to areas where there would be people, and more important, people with food. Besides stealing, which admittedly, you can get away with as an animal, I had no other way of feeding myself.

It was food that had dictated my decision to come to London. Everyone in London was willing to spare some leftovers for their favorite shaggy, black dog. I headed down Knockturn Alley, taking a shortcut to the Leaky Cauldron.

I trotted past miserable-looking witches and wizards as they prowled down the street. I kept moving through the alley until I saw a large group of people crowded around a wall.

I made my way over to them and pushed my way into the group, trying to catch a glimpse of what had so captured everyone's attention. When I finally reached the front of the crowd, I looked up and saw a poster nailed into the brick, Remus' face pasted right in the center. I felt my stomach flip, and I pushed myself up onto my hind legs, my front paws resting on the wall for support, so that I could better read the poster.

_WANTED_

_Remus John Lupin_

_Extremely Dangerous: Known werewolf and possible conspirator with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Acquaintance of Sirius Black, and possible accomplice. Wanted for harboring a dangerous criminal and crimes against the Wizarding community. Approach with caution_

_Report any sightings or information to the Ministry immediately._

I backed off from the wall and moved into the alley, my head spinning. Why would they want Remus? Who would ever want to take ol' goody-goody Remus to prison? What could Remus, the prefect, the smart one that was always trying to stay out of trouble have possibly done to deserve this? Nothing, that's what.

The Ministry was just looking for a scapegoat, and Remus provided the ideal one. He was my friend, the perfect accomplice, and he was a werewolf, the perfect conspirator. Of course everyone would feel safer if he were behind bars.

I needed to warn him. He needed to know that they were coming for him. I ran from the alley and began sprinting out of London.

-oOoOoO-

_Tonks_

I felt my breath catch in my chest from the sudden Apparition, but Remus quickly unlocked the door and headed inside.

"Remus, will you just wait?" I begged breathlessly.

He either hadn't heard me or ignored me, for he continued his way into the house. Inside, Snape was waiting impatiently in front of the fireplace, green ashes still perched on his deep black robes.

"Where have you been?" he scolded. "I've been waiting for fifteen minutes."

"Sorry," Remus apologized, "it must have taken your Patronus a while to find us," he invented.

"Well, let's get a move on," Snape hurried as he reached into his robes and withdrew a vial of a silvery colored liquid. "I've got better things to do with my time," he muttered, placing the vial on the coffee table.

"That's it?" I questioned. After seeing the potion brewing in so many huge cauldrons in Snape's office, I had expected it to yield much more than just a small vial.

"It's all we'll need," Snape waved me off.

"So what do we have to do?" Remus asked.

"All she has to do is drink it," Snape explained. "Concentrate on where and when you want to be. Don't let anything distract you," he emphasized, turning to me, "that's very important." I nodded. "If you do that," Snape continued, "you should get back exactly when you want to."

Remus nodded and took the potion from the coffee table. "Thanks, Severus," he said.

"It's fine," Snape replied, stepping into the fireplace. "Just don't mess it up," he warned as he threw down some Floo Powder and disappeared in an inferno of green flames.

When the fire had subsided, Remus turned to me and held out the vial. "Here you go," he instructed, motioning for me to take it.

I looked at the bottle for a moment. I wish I could say that I immediately took the vial and returned to my time, but for some reason, something held me back. I couldn't bring my arm to reach out or my hands to grasp the tiny bottle.

"Remus, I—" I began, but suddenly, there was a large bang on the door, and it was thrust open.

Both Remus and I gripped our wands and rushed to the door, ready to see who was waiting for us.

A large, black dog ran into the room. He ran into the center of the sitting room and barked loudly, indicating to us to shut the door.

Remus and I lowered our wands and did as the dog commanded. When we turned around, the tall figure of Sirius Black stood the middle of the room.

Remus face brightened. "Sirius," he began, "where have you—?"

"There's no time," Sirius said so rushed I could barely understand him. "Remus you have to get out of here," he warned.

"Why?" Remus asked worriedly. "What's happened?"

"I was in London, and they've got wanted posters for you all over the place." Sirius' eyes flashed to me. A disdainful look flashed across his face before he turned back to his friend. "They're going to take you in if you don't get out of here," he finished breathlessly.

"But I haven't done anything wrong," Remus defended. "Surely this is all some misunderstanding."

"This isn't a misunderstanding!" Sirius yelled, exasperated now. "I'm trying to help you here. You _have_ to leave."

"Is there something I can do?" I offered.

"You've done enough," Sirius spat.

"Lay off," Remus warned.

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, we don't have time for this," he allowed. "If you really want to help, you can start helping us gather things up so we can leave."

I nodded. Remus headed into his room, trying to get some clothes together. He instructed Sirius and me to go into the bathroom and get the Wolfsbane potion for him.

"Sirius," I began as we loaded the many potions and ingredients into a large bag, "I'm sorry for what happened. You were right. I should have told him right then and there."

"You're right," Sirius grumbled, not looking at me. "You should have."

"He knows now," I admitted. "I told him over Christmas."

Sirius finally turned to face me. "What did he say?"

"He said that he would be alright," I replied.

Sirius' expression softened. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"The potion's ready for me to go back," I answered. "Once you two are good to go, I can go back and hopefully prevent him from…." I trailed off, unable to continue the sentence.

Sirius put a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I knew that I had been forgiven.

Just then, there was a loud boom at the door. Sirius ran into the next room, and I could hear someone shouting on the other side.

"Ministry of Magic," it yelled, "open up!"

Remus and I ran into the sitting room to find Sirius barricading the door with one of the armchairs.

Remus turned to me. "Take the potion," he demanded. His eyes were grave and terrified. "Take it now."

"I'm not going to leave you like this," I returned.

"We'll be fine," he assured. "You have to get out of here."

"He's right, Tonks," Sirius interjected, now moving the coffee table in front of the chair. "You should leave."

"But—"

"We'll be fine," Remus comforted again, this time in a softer tone.

I looked up at him. I knew that he was right. If I didn't leave now, I was never going to get another chance. If the Ministry saw me here and I was caught, things would change drastically. I had to go back to the future and set things right. It was now or never.

I looked up into Remus' face. He gazed back at me with reassuring eyes, trying to convince me that he and Sirius would make it out of this.

I reached up and kissed Remus on the lips, trying to burn this moment into my memory. I had to remember him before the war, before all the fighting and arguing, when things were right.

He kissed me back, and for the first time, I knew for myself that everything was going to be alright.

We broke apart, and I smiled.

"Not to ruin the moment," Sirius whined, "but we're kind of in a rush."

I took the potion from Remus, and uncorked the vial. "See you in 15 years," I joked.

"See you," Remus returned. I downed the potion and felt a strange feeling come over me. My arms and legs tingled, and I felt lightheaded.

I concentrated on June 3, 1997. That would give me enough time to save Remus. _June third, June, third, June third_, I repeated it over and over. Everything became fuzzy, like I was watching it through a fog, but I kept repeating the date over and over in my head. _June third._

Just then, the door burst open, and Sirius' barricade fell to the side. Ministry officials hurried into the house, trying to apprehend Remus and Sirius.

They were shouting something to each other, but I couldn't make out what it was. All I could see were spells flying everywhere.

I tried to scream and move from my spot in the room to help them, but I was cemented to the floor. I wriggled and squirmed, but my body was becoming heavier and heavier. I felt a strong tug at my waist, but I struggled against it. I had to stay! This was all wrong. I couldn't go like this.

I felt myself being twisted and turned in what seemed like every imaginable direction. Still, I continued to fight, my mind whirling.

Just as the image of Remus and Sirius disappeared from my mind, everything went black.

_**I hope you all liked this chapter! Sorry for ending it this way, but it had to be done. The next chapter will be the last one, and I'll hopefully have it posted soon!**_

_**Thanks again for reading. Don't forget to Review!**_


	36. Chapter 36: Perfect

PERFECT

_**Hi again everyone! Sorry for ending the last chapter like that. I hope this clears some things up. This is the last chapter, and I hope you all like it! Thanks so much for reading and Reviewing!**_

_**Harry Potter isn't mine**_

My heart started to race, and my head began pounding. I had to get back. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Remus and Sirius were supposed to be safe, not taken in by the Ministry. This was all wrong, and it was my fault. I had to do something to fix it!

I tried to get up and figure out where I was, but I couldn't. My head was pounding so much that I could feel it in my ears. As the initial adrenaline began to subside, I could feel the soreness that dominated my entire body. My chest felt heavy, preventing me from drawing a deep breath, and my arms and legs felt like they had been torn from my body. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move.

My head gradually started to clear, and I became aware that I was lying in a bed, its hard lumps digging painfully into my already sore back.

Suddenly, voices sounded to my right. "She should be alright," a woman started. "The Healing Charms should take effect any moment, and I expect she'll wake up soon. Just don't tell her anything that could upset her too much; we don't want her getting overly excited just yet," she continued.

"Thank you," a familiar gruff voice answered before I heard the light tapping of the woman's footsteps echo down the hall. My head began spinning yet again. This was so familiar, like I'd been here before.

After a few moments, the same rough voice spoke again, "I have to get back. There's a meeting soon, and I have to give an update. You'll stay here?"  
"Yeah, but what if she wakes up?" a familiar squeaky man's voice asked.

"If she wakes up, you let us know and make sure she's alright," the first man responded impatiently.

Someone shifted uncomfortably before the second man spoke, this time so quietly I could barely make out his question, "But what'll I tell her about _him_?"

Then it hit me. I was in the hospital, and it was several days after the battle, several days later than I had expected—several days too late to save Remus. I felt hot tears begin to form in my eyes. I was too late. Snape had given me two simple instructions, focus on the date and don't get distracted, and I couldn't do it. Now, I had forfeited Remus' life because of my mistake.

I didn't hear the rest of what the two men said, but I knew that it was just me and the squeaky one now, for the other man had left moments ago. Tears started to stream down my face. I was too late.

"Tonks?" the man's voice prodded. "Tonks, are you alright?" he asked worriedly. "It's okay," he insisted. "Everyone's fine. You're going to be just fine."

My eyes started to flutter open, and I became overwhelmed by the light, causing still more tears to flood down my cheeks.

"It's okay," the man, who I could now make out as Dedalus, reassured. "Everything's okay."

I couldn't respond. All I knew was that I was too late, and Remus was now gone because of my mistakes. I had gone back in time for nothing—nothing had changed. We were still at war. We were still fighting. And Remus was still dead. My time in 1981 was all for nothing.

I felt a sob escape my chest, and I could sense that Dedalus was beginning to grow flustered at the sight of my hysterics. "It's alright," he repeated, rushed. He looked around desperately for some help.

Just then, a third man entered the room, but I couldn't make out who it was. All I could hear was him asking in an irritated voice, "Dedalus, what'd you do?"

That voice. It was so warm, so beautifully familiar. It was a voice I thought that I had lost forever, a voice that finally assured me that everything really was all right.

He stepped into the room, and I took in the sight of the patched robes and graying hair around his face. He held two cups of coffee in his hands, which he promptly set down on the bedside table before rushing over to me. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked worriedly into my tear-stained face.

I felt my breath choke in my chest. It really was him. He looked older now; his face was lined and scarred, and his sandy brown hair now had a considerable amount of gray. His body seemed more tired, and he slouched forward ever so slightly when he walked. His robes were more patched, and deep lines were worn into his forehead.

The one thing that had not changed a bit, however, was his bright blue eyes. Despite his age, they still had that mischievous sparkle in them—a sparkle that revealed the strength of the fighter in him.

I was so in shock, all I could make out was a strangled, "Remus?"

He reached up and gently swept my hair from my eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked soothingly.

"How…?" I broke off.

Remus gave me a puzzled look. "What?"

"But—" I hesitated, "you…you were dead."

He gazed at me quizzically for a moment before chuckling heartily. I gave him a puzzled look and tried to sit up on the bed.

"No," he explained, helping me lean against the head of the bed, "and I have you to thank."

When I gave him yet another questioning look, he continued, "Don't you remember that Christmas when you told me?"

I thought for a moment, before everything came back. He was right. I had told him everything just weeks before I'd gone back. He'd remembered the warning and stayed away, and now, everything was perfect again.

I reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him as close as my still achy body would allow. Remus looked surprised at first, but he hugged me back. We held each other close, and I never wanted to let him go.

It didn't matter that there was still a war raging, nor did it matter that Dedalus was looking to the both of us as though we were a couple of wrackspurts. All that mattered was that the man next to me was alive and well, and we were together again.

Everything was perfect.

_**Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the story! Thank you all so much to everyone who read, reviewed, added it to their favorites, or followed it! You all made writing this so much fun!**_

_**Be sure to check out the sequel. It's called The Thing with Feathers, and it focuses on what happens to Remus from the time Tonks leaves through the end of this story when Tonks wakes up. The first chapters are up, and you can find it under my profile! I hope you'll like it :)**_

_**Thanks again!**_


	37. Chapter 37: Thank you!

_**I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you who have read and kept up with this story.**_

_**Mellimon: Thanks so much for your reviews! Your ideas inspired some of the biggest aspects of the story, including bringing Sirius into it! It really helped the story and made it so much fun to write. Thanks!**_

_**MsTonksLupin: Thank you so much for reading my story! Your reviews always brought a smile to my face, and they gave me inspiration for future chapters! I also really appreciate all your input about my ideas and your words of encouragement for how the story was progressing (even at times when I wasn't so sure of it myself.) Thanks so much!**_

_**WolfMarauder: Thank you so much for your reviews! I was always so happy to read your reviews. It meant a lot to hear that you enjoyed my story and liked its progression. Thanks!**_

_**LandOfTheLivingSkys: Thank you so much for following my story! I was always so excited to go online and see that you had reviewed! Your reviews made me so happy, and I loved your enthusiasm throughout the entire thing. I really appreciate everything. It made writing this so much fun. Thank you!**_

_**Cheyahh101: Thank you so much for all your reviews! It made me so happy to hear that people liked the way I portrayed Remus and Tonks and enjoyed my cutesy-romance. Thanks!**_

_**Dr. Pepper 87: Thank you so much for following my story! Your reviews never failed to make me smile/laugh. It makes me so happy to hear that someone enjoyed my story so much. I really appreciate everything! Hearing from you made writing this story so much fun! Thank you so much!**_

_**Queenofserendipity: Thank you for reading this story! It really meant a lot to hear that people enjoyed what I wrote (even when I wasn't so sure about it). Your reviews gave me more confidence in my writing. Thank you!**_

_**DanH2010: Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate everything! I loved your ideas. I thought that they were so creative. It was also so great to hear that people enjoyed what I was doing with the plot and timeline! It made writing this very rewarding and so much fun! Thanks!**_

_**Faultyfox: Thank you so much for all your reviews! It meant so much that people actually had the patience to read this story all at once. I was worried that the chapters would be choppy and not flow well if you read them all together, but I'm glad that you liked it. Thanks so much for all your input. You made writing this story a blast! Thanks!**_

_**PS. I hope that I gave you enough of a happy ending :)**_

_**BAUNSY: Thank you so much for all your input! I really appreciated you telling me that there wasn't enough dialogue in some of the chapters (looking back, I know that you were so right). It helped me make the story the best that I could, and it helped me be confident in what I wrote. Thanks so much for following this!**_

_**To everyone else who read/reviewed: THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your continued support has made this story a true joy to write. You put up with my ridiculously long breaks (I'm really sorry about those…_) and my super long rants (again…sorry). It brightened my day to hear from all of you. Thank you so much for everything!**_

_**And that brings us to the end of A Twist of Time. I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks again.**_

_***Mischief Managed***_


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